There has been considerable delay in the formation of the government in Jammu and Kashmir. The state is now being ruled by the governor. The swearing-in of Mehbooba Mufti will take place only after the mourning period is over. It is also a fact that Mehbooba is finding it difficult to deal with the BJP. BJP general secretary Ram Madhav has met her and had talks with her regarding government formation. He is said to have offered her conditional support. He wants Mehbooba to give his party the deputy chief minister’s post. Mehbooba does not want to do that. And she has put forward some conditions for continuing the alliance with the BJP. Mehbooba wants bigger portfolios, and she expects the Centre to give more assistance. One more condition she has set is that all sensitive issues should be avoided. Mehbooba feels perhaps that the BJP is trying to cut down her powers. The BJP wants a big piece of the cake and she is not prepared to give it. In the meanwhile, Congress president Mehbooba’s dislike of the BJP is well known. Sensing this perhaps, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has quietly met Mehbooba and evidently discussed the government formation with her. Sonia has definitely positive proposals and they may be more acceptable to her. The question arises whether the PDP will dump BJP and form an alliance with the Congress. The delay in the formation of government indicates that. The Congress party in Jammu and Kashmir would like some chance for governance instead of remaining out of job for long.
Sherful Islam Abu Nasar
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
