Govt Formation: Suspense Continues

SRINAGAR: The suspense over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir following the hung verdict in the Assembly elections continued for the second consecutive day Wednesday as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the single largest party, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the next big outfit, kept their cards close to the chest.

Emerging as a potential king maker with 25 seats in its bag, the leadership of BJP met in the Parliamentary Board in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after which the party said it was keeping all options open.

On Tuesday, the party President Amit Shah had listed the options as forming a BJP government, supporting a government and participating in a government.

It also decided to send Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and National Secretary Arun Singh as Observers to Srinagar in three-four days to oversee elections of Legislature Party leader and finalise a strategy on government formation.

The top PDP leadership, which emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats in a House of 87, continued their closed-door marathon consultations on its strategy.

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Falling short of the majority mark, the party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and President Mehbooba Mufti deliberated with the party brass and grass root level leaders at Sayeeds residence on the options of entering into an alliance for forming a government.

While PDP has done well in the Valley, the BJP has done well in the Jammu region. The ruling National Conference secured 12 seats while the Congress notched 17.

Reflecting the dilemma and difficult choices before it in going with the BJP to form a government, the party is keeping the strategy to itself for the moment. None of the leaders spoke to the media. The chief spokesman of the party Naeem Akhtar has also kept away from the media.

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