STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU/SRINAGAR: In a new political twist in Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference on Tuesday formally offered support to PDP in a letter to Governor N.N Vohra for forming a government that could break the logjam of over three weeks.
“@JKNC_has written to Governor Vohra Sahib reiterating our offer of support to @jkpdp and asking him to call us before deciding the Assembly viability,” National Conference’s Working President Omar Abdullah tweeted.
Devender Rana
In a statement, the party said Abdullah urged Vohra to consult the party leadership before taking any final decision regarding the future of the present Assembly and its viability in the formation of the government.
The letter was delivered to Vohra by Provincial President Jammu Devender Singh Rana in Jammu this afternoon as a consequence of the meeting of NC Core Group in Srinagar on Monday.
In the letter, Abdullah said that National Conference has offered to support PDP, which has emerged as the single largest party in the just-concluded Assembly elections, a party release said.
“However, the political impasse in the State, due to indecisiveness of the PDP has led to the imposition of the Governor’s rule and placing of the State Assembly in suspended animation despite an overwhelming participation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the electoral process”, the letter said.
A PDP spokesman said the party will take note of the latest development in an appropriate forum.
“We will discuss this development in an appropriate party forum and respond after the deliberations,” PDP Chief Spokesman Naeem Akhtar told PTI.
On the PDP’s talks with BJP on government formation, Akhtar said back channel contacts were in progress.
Later talking to a Srinagar based news agency, Naeem gave a comprehensive reaction, saying that when Omar Abdullah failed to pressurize PDP by resigning as the care taker Chief Minister, he started playing the mind games.
“NC is power hungry party. The people have voted for change and against National Conference. I can tell you that Governor’s rule is better than the alliance of PDP and National Conference. We could have considered this option but the clear picture is that people have voted against the National Conference and it has been the worst regime even in the State of Jammu and Kashmir when youth were killed in 2010 and Shopian rape was witnessed. It was the Haji Yousuf’s killing, cricket scandals and what not. People are celebrating that Omar Abdullah is gone.”
Nayeem Akhter
Akhar said that the informal channels for the BJP-PDP government formation have been going on and doors for the talks with Congress are also open.
“It is ironical that the party that has been rejected by the people of the state are eager than others to be the part of the government. The present actions of Omar Abdullah are nothing but the pressure tactics to compel PDP to take wrong step. We take the right decision and right time,” Nayeem Akhter said.
Talking to media persons after meeting the Governor, close aide of the former Chief Minister Devender Rana said that being a responsible party, having its base in all the three regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, National Conference has offered to support PDP, the single largest party, in view of the larger public interest.
The Assembly polls, whose results were declared on 23rd December last, threw up a fractured mandate. PDP emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats in the 87-member House.
BJP bagged 25 seats, NC 15 and Congress 12.
PDP and BJP have been in talks but failed to reach any agreement even three weeks after the results came, following which the Governor’s Rule was imposed in the State.
Earlier in the day, Abdullah said all the party candidates from Kashmir for the recent Assembly elections have endorsed the party’s stand of not entering into an alliance with the BJP for government formation.
“Met the contesting candidates of NC from Kashmir province. Very productive meeting. Glad to have their endorsement of the line taken so far,” he wrote on twitter.
Abdullah, who resigned as caretaker Chief Minister last week, chaired a meeting of all party candidates who contested the elections in Kashmir Valley to discuss the prevailing political scenario in the State.
The Core group of National Conference on Monday decided that it will not ally with the BJP for government formation but expressed readiness to support PDP.
As none of the parties or combination of parties staked claim for government formation, Governor’s Rule was imposed on 9th January after Omar asked to be relieved of the caretaker Chief Minister’s duties.