* BJP asks ‘partner’ to first elect LP leader
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Jan 14: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) today said that it has not set any conditions before the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) for the formation of new coalition Government in the State but the party is reviewing, how far the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ has been implemented during coalition Government headed by former Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Meanwhile, the BJP stressed that the PDP should first elect its Legislature Party leader and then rake up its grievances including points in the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ which it wants to implement.
Senior leader of the party and close aide of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, Naeem Akhtar, told Excelsior that party president has not held any formal meeting with her colleagues to discuss how much of “the common vision of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Mufti Sahab regarding the State” had been taken forward.
Akhtar said that the party president, Mehbooba Mufti, is holding meeting of her party colleagues soon to discuss the implementation of ‘Agenda of Alliance’ during Mufti Sahib’s time. He said that Mehbooba had no formal contact with her party colleagues including its senior leader and MP, Muzaffar Hussain Beigh, so far after the demise of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
The PDP leader said: “There is no question of re-negotiating the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ but we want to review what we have achieved on this during Mufti Sahib’s time. The dilemma before the party is that, if we couldn’t achieve anything on agenda of alliance during Mufti Sahib’s time what can we achieve on this in his absence.”
Akhtar said that Government formation is not a big deal but “we have to see the purpose of its formation.” He said that Mufti Sahib wanted development of the State and his last query was: “Has the money been transferred for the rehabilitation of the flood victims of 2014 and rehabilitation of migrant Pandits”?
The PDP leader said that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took a bold decision to form alliance with BJP and so did the BJP. “It was alliance between North and South Pole and it was alliance of Kashmir with rest of the country “, he said.
Akhtar said that implementation of ‘Agenda of Alliance’ is not only in the interest of the State but whole country. He described it as sacred document and said that if things settle in Kashmir, whole country will get benefitted and if they are not settled, whole country will feel the heat.
The PDP leader said that return of power projects, setting up of thermal power station in the State, smart cities and vacation of land unauthorisedly in the possession of armed forces is part of the ‘Agenda of Alliance’.
Akhtar said that implementation of ‘Agenda of Alliance’ will not benefit one region only, it will benefit entire State. “If power projects are returned to the State, Jammu will be more benefitted, if smart cities are made here, both Jammu and Srinagar will be benefitted”, he said. The PDP leader said that all the States have got smart cities but Jammu and Kashmir has been left out.
The PDP leader said that by implementing the agenda of alliance, PDP will not only be benefitted but BJP and people of entire State as well.
Meanwhile, BJP national vice president Avinash Rai Khanna, Incharge Jammu and Kashmir, told the Excelsior that the PDP should first elect its Legislature Party leader and forward that decision to the Governor before holding discussions on any issues they want-whether in ‘Agenda of Alliance’ or otherwise.
“We can meet and re-assess political situation including the implementation of the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ especially the issues on which the PDP has grievances. All such issues can be looked into by the two parties,” Khanna said, adding the things have to be taken forward in forming the Government and that can be done only when the PDP elect its Legislature Party leader.
Former Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Dr Nirmal Singh said the BJP was committed to coalition Government and any grievances, raised by the PDP, can be looked into.
BJP sources said the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ had clearly stated that the Centre will explore possibilities of return of Central power projects to the State.
“No where it has been mentioned that the Centre will return power projects to the State,” they said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already given Rs 500 crores for smart cities in Rs 80,000 crores worth package.
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