* 13 PDP, 12 BJP Ministers likely to take oath
Neeraj Rohmetra
Jammu, Feb 27: PDP patron, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today formally staked claim before Governor, N N Vohra to form the next coalition Government in the State with backing of BJP, after his meeting with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi today morning in New Delhi at the latter’s residence.
The PDP patron will head the 25-member Cabinet, which will also have half of its members from BJP and the swearing-in ceremony, will take place at 11 am on Sunday at General Zorawar Singh auditorium of Jammu University in presence of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
While Mufti will be the Chief Minister for full six year term, BJP nominee – Dr Nirmal Singh will take over as Deputy Chief Minister. However sources indicated, “PDP will have lion’s share in the portfolios, which are likely to be finalised by both parties by tomorrow evening”.
Earlier, in the morning the PDP patron had nearly one hour long meeting with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi at 7, Race Course Road and discussed various issues pertaining to the new political dispensation in the State. Both the leaders put their seal of approval for the Common Minimum Program (CMP), which shall form the basis for governance in the State.
Modi and Sayeed were all smiles as they hugged and posed for cameras with their photographs trending on social networks within minutes.
Sources said, “both leaders discussed a gamut of issuing confronting the new political dispensation in the State and how to take the State forward on path of development, while keeping aside the contentious issue”.
The Prime Minister, on invitation of Mufti also agrees to attend the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday, after which a joint press conference would be held by the two leaders. “Mr Modi will be arriving at Jammu University at around 11 am and will leave exactly after one hour”, sources remarked.
Both PDP and BJP held intense negotiations over Government formation since December, when the elections threw a highly fractured mandate, with PDP emerging as single largest party with 28 MLAs followed by BJP with 25.
Both the parties had finalised a Common Minimum Program (CMP), which touched on all contentious issue like Article 370, Armed Forces Special Powers Act and resettlement of West Pak Refugees. “The CMP document, which also has blessings of Sangh Parivaar, will be made public after the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday”, party sources said.
Confessing the difficulties in cobbling the alliance, Mufti after the meeting said that the coalition was like “bringing together the North and South Pole”.
“It (the alliance) is both for political and governance, first political and then governance. When political atmosphere will be right then only governance will take place,” Sayeed, who later met former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and also visited the residence of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani, said. The Chief Minister in waiting also visited the residence of his old friend and senior JD (U) leader, Sharad Yadav and was accompanied by party’s chief interlocutor, Haseeb Drabu.
When asked about Article 370 which gives special status to the State and AFSPA, Sayeed said, “leave these issues. We have to do all this (hame karna padta hai)…All this will come in the CMP which will be announced after the swearing-in.”
The PDP patron said he aims to give a “healing touch” as anguish in one part of the huge country is not a good thing.
“My view was that an opportunity has come that Jammu region and Kashmir region will come together. If BJP got mandate in Jammu and PDP in Kashmir valley, therefore they have got support of people. There is credibility. When they will merge, it will be de jure. It takes six hours from Jammu to the Valley, but opportunity is there to connect hearts and minds of people,” he said.
Sayeed said second aspect is when former Prime Minister Vajpayee visited Kashmir in 2002-03; he started a journey of friendship in Srinagar.
“He extended a hand of friendship towards Pakistan, saying we can change friends but not our neighbours. So (the then Pakistan President Pervez) Musharraf also responded. It is the dream of the Prime Minister and mine to develop Kashmir as an ‘island of peace’. So, in that
process, it is necessary to engage Pakistan,” he said.
“….So I want to repeat history. Today, the Prime Minister has mandate of the people. He has got full legitimacy to deliver,” he said.
BJP’s chief interlocutor on talks with PDP Ram Madhav also skirted questions on decisions taken on controversial issues saying that “one needs to wait till Sunday and see for themselves that there has been no compromise. Both the parties, which are diametrically opposite, have arrived at a common ground on contentious issues.”
“We have reached an excellent understanding,” Madhav said and also clarified that the CMP had the “blessings” of all stake holders including the Sangh Parivar.
Earlier, the PDP patron staked claim to form Government and submitted the formal communiqué, which says, “with the support of BJP, my party has clear majority and was in a position to provide stable Government to the State”. The letter was delivered at Raj Bhavan by senior PDP leader, Abdul Rehman Veeri, after the party unanimously elected Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as the leader of its Legislature party.
Prior to this, BJP MLA’s delegation comprising Kavinder Gupta, Sat Paul Sharma, Daleep Singh Parihar and Abdul Gani Kohli met the Governor and handed over a letter to Governor, informing him of their party’s support to the political dispensation in the State.
“BJP supports PDP in their efforts for Government formation in the State and urged Governor to invite Mufti Sayeed, PDP patron to form Government in the State”, says the letter handed over by the BJP leaders.
Interestingly, the letter’s submitted before the Governor by both PDP and BJP has no mention of support offered by their Independents and their respective allies (People’s Conference).
“There were also reports that some leaders of PDP were strongly opposed to People’s Conference Legislators becoming part of Cabinet”, sources said.
Sources also pointed out, “if PDP-BJP coalition decide to have all 25 persons (including Chief Minister) among the Council of Ministers, it would leave no scope for future expansion of the Cabinet”, sources pointed out.
It is pertinent to mention here that the State can have maximum of 25 persons as members of the Council of Ministers, which is equal to 20 per cent of the total strength of the bicameral House – 89 MLAs and 36 MLCs.
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