Srinagar: The PDP which has emerged as the single largest party in Jammu and Kashmir appeared to be keeping options open in forming the next government in the state.
“We will not cobble together a government by hook or crook. It will take time to explore possibilities and formation of government to meet the people’s expectations and good governance. It is difficult to say when it will materialise,” PDP President Mehbooba Mufti told reporters.
Refusing to disclose the strategy, she said her party would not cobble together numbers just for the sake of arithmetic.
“We will explore possibilities of forming government that will be credible. We are in the process of exploring possibilities and we will do what is in the best interest of people of Kashmir. We are looking for a government that is based on an agenda of good governance. Its going to take time,” she said.
The PDP has won 25 seats and is leading in three seats.
Mehbooba, however, said that PDP will take time to explore possibilities of entering into an alliance for government formation in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We will explore the possibilities (of government formation) that will meet aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and our agenda of taking forward the political process,” she said.
Although the PDP president remained non-committal about an alliance with any party, it dropped broad hints about the possibilities, saying the vote of the current election was against National Conference and Congress coalition.
“In 2002, we had 16 seats there was a credibility crisis and people voted against National Conference. Today also people have voted against NC and Congress,” she said.
Asked about Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad extending unconditional support to her party, Mehbooba referred to the PDP-Congress coalition from 2002 to 2008, saying the common minimum programme of the two parties had worked well for the state as well as the rest of the country.
“The government should have credibility and work to the expectations of the people,” she said.
She thanked the people for voting for PDP but admitted that the results were not according to their expectations.
“It is not a decisive mandate and not to our expectations.
We thank the people of Jammu and Kashmir for making us the single largest party,” he said. (PTI)