Dissensions will remain bane for the second term of the PDP-BJP Coalition Government in Jammu and Kashmir. The turn of events with in the two days of the Mehbooba Mufti government gives an impression that the ministry was formed in a hurried manner and some sort of external pressure was there from New Delhi. After the demise of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed cracks started appearing in the party and delayed government formation started building up pressure with BJP asserting to go with 20 MLAs and PDP choosing to elect a new leader. Adding to all these were the unexplained delay in government formation. The first sign of break up emerged when Sajjad Lone of Peoples Conference, a BJP adjustment candidate, quit the ministry vacating the government accommodation and packing up for New Delhi for ‘treatment’. The second one was the ‘one-night portfolio’ allocation of Tribal Affairs to Chowdhary Zulfikar Ali. Come morning he is divested of his portfolio without any reason or rhyme. Even the minister himself does not know the reason. What one can assume is the logic behind such change could be to give Tribal affairs a better representation with a chosen one at the helm of affairs, provoking Mehbooba to retain the portfolio with herself to streamline the ration distribution system and assuage local’s feelings and address apprehensions linked with it. Or is that she has succumbed to the pressure of ‘appeasing policy ‘? Whatever may be the reason so the beginning for the PDP-BJP combine’s second coming was not smooth as expected and in coming days more dissensions my come up. If it was ‘appeasing policy’ for Kashmir you have NIT imbroglio where pro-India students are under threat and the institute has been under siege of disturbances. It looks there is some pattern to all the incidents and Mehbooba as Chief Minister will find sailing tough in coming days. As far BJP is concerned there is hardly any trouble to be expected from their side. If ever, it would be from within the PDP which could pose a challenge to the Chief Minister Mehbooba.
