SRINAGAR: Even though the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders said on Saturday that all is not over between the PDP and Bharatiya Janata Party, there seems little doubt that the alliance between the two parties is on its last legs.
After the so-called secret talks between the PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti and BJP president Amit Shah, failed to pave the way for a meeting between Mehbooba Mufti and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the message was clear.
The government in J&K cannot be based on preconditions. Trust cannot be based on any condition, said the partys national general secretary and point man on Jammu and Kashmir, Ram Madhav.
Madhav told reporters in New Delhi, Governments cannot be formed on preconditions. The fact is, since the death of Mufti sahib, the PDP is yet to choose its nominee for the chief ministers post. That may be quibbling with the fine print since everyone in Kashmir and Delhi know who the nominee is.
Madhav, however, said that after being chosen as a chief minister nominee, Mehbooba Mufti could always make demands as is usual for chief ministers while dealing with the centre.
The BJP showed its own version of the iron fist even while Modi was witnessing the Iron Fist exercises by the countrys armed forces at Pokhran in Rajasthan.
The message to Mehbooba Mufti was clear though couched in polite words get sworn in on our terms or else, forget it.
Senior PDP leader and one of the partys founding members, Muzaffar Hussain Baig swung into immediate damage control after Ram Madhavs statement.
Mehbooba returned to Srinagar by the first flight on Saturday, after her much-hyped meeting with Modi did not materialise and was instead followed by Ram Madhavs comments.
The one politician enjoying continuing impasse between the PDP and the BJP is the former chief minister and working president of the regional National Conference, Omar Abdullah.
When the PDP-BJP arrangement looked like it was breaking down on Saturday, Omar took to Twitter to deride Mehbooba Mufti.
It seems she didnt know what she wanted from the centre and got tripped up because her demands were too vague and her response too erratic, Omar said.
If all she wanted was the agenda of an alliance, that was a roadmap with a six year implementation period, what was the problem with a timeframe? Omar said in another tweet.
The former chief minister also remarked, Watch how Mehbooba Mufti will now try and claim that her party wasnt asking for anything new and how the PM has let down J&K.
All the overtures from the BJP, the NC and even her own party notwithstanding, the fact is, the alliance between the PDP and BJP has developed gaping holes which are visible to all.
The only thing that needs to be watched now is whether Mehbooba Mufti calls off the alliance or waits for another rebuff from the BJP.
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