SRINAGAR: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said while the “evident” Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-BJP coalition in the state was a foregone conclusion, there was an inexplicable delay in government formation.
“While the PDP has declared that the PDP-BJP ‘Agenda of the Alliance’ is a ‘sacred document’ and that PDP continues to be in awe of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there is an inexplicable delay in government formation,” he wrote on his Facebook page last night.
Mr Abdullah, the working president of the opposition National Conference (NC), was reacting to the PDP statement issued after the meeting of its Core Group here last evening.
“From the statement issued to the media at the conclusion of today’s (Sunday) meeting by the PDP, it has become evident that the PDP-BJP alliance stands, that no conditions have been set by the PDP, that no negotiations are being conducted and the formation of the new PDP-BJP government is a foregone conclusion,” Mr Abdullah said.
He said the general perception about the delay in government formation was that it is being done to salvage some bare minimum credibility for the PDP and “to create a smokescreen of stiff morality.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir continue to be deprived of an elected government while two political parties with a combined majority continue to be in an alliance -which is bizarre and unprecedented. This posturing and political drama comes at the cost of uncertainty, instability and chaos in the state,” he wrote.
Mr Abdullah said PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and her party has two options – to either deliver on the promises made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir or to break the alliance with the BJP.
“To hang on to this alliance with the BJP for dear life while pretending to be the unwavering example of high morality is akin to aspiring to have the cake and eat it too… If Mehbooba Mufti can’t rise to the occasion she should end PDP’s alliance with the BJP based on PDP’s alleged reservations and regrets over the previous 10 months and we can go back to the people again for fresh elections,” he added.
Mr Abdullah said the longer Mehbooba Mufti delayed the imminent government formation with the BJP, the more people will expect her to extract concessions from the Centre.
“I wish her the best of luck in her political games with the genuine disappointment that these political games and theatrics come at a grave cost to the common man in Jammu and Kashmir who continues to be surrounded by an eerie political uncertainty,” he said.
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