Jammu, February 09: The political crisis in Jammu and Kashmir which is testing the patience of the people of the state is likely to end soon and some final decision about the unstable situation prevailing might be taken to clear the political impasse in near future.
Having faced the wrath of the people in the shape of growing unrest in the society the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finally seems to have woken up to the worsening situation and has decided to initiate direct talks with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to discuss the government formation in the state.
While PDP is having the field day by taking the people of the state hostage keeping them guessing over its next move the state BJP is conveniently playing the second fiddle by keeping its fingers crossed and waiting for the PDP to talk forgetting that Jammuites had not given them huge mandate to continue the second fiddle game but to assert Jammu pride in the political arena and play the equal partner.
However that hardly seems the position and reports suggest that the political crisis is about to end now as central BJP has asked one of its key leaders to initiate talks with PDP soon.
According to reports, “BJP President Amit Shah wants the uncertainty over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir to end soon. He has deputed party general secretary Ram Madhav, who played a key role in bringing together the People’s Democratic Party or PDP and the BJP last year in a coalition, to fly to Srinagar and hold talks with PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and resolve the crisis.
Madhav will meet Ms Mufti and other PDP leaders next week. Top PDP sources, however said, “(We have) no idea if anyone from the BJP is coming for talks.”
The state was put under President’s rule shortly after the death of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in a hospital in New Delhi on January 7. Mr Sayeed headed the first government in the state in which the BJP was a partner.
Ms Mufti who was widely expected to succeed her father Mr Sayeed as the state’s first woman chief minister hardened her stance putting off the swearing in. She has asked the BJP to spell out the confidence building measures the Centre is willing to take for the people of the state. The PDP says it has already made its point of view clear on government formation.
Sources in the BJP said that the party leadership wants the uncertainty in Jammu and Kashmir to end before the Budget session of Parliament begins on February 23. The party brass is worried about the political fallout of the alliance not forming the government as the BJP-led government at the Centre, which is in a minority in the Rajya Sabha, negotiates will other parties in Parliament for passage of crucial bills. Also, there are assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the next few months.
The BJP will not re-negotiate the Agenda for Governance – a common list that the two parties drew up at the time of forming the coalition to guide the state government – party sources said.”
The reports also indicate that the doubts raised by certain quarters earlier that Muftis’ won’t take any political step until the forty day mourning period is over to uphold their Sayeed sectarian tradition and also to convince Kashmiris that they still have the power to run the state as per their whims and fancies thus satisfying their ‘Kashmiri’ ego for future political gains.