Is a PDP-BJP consensus on the cards in J&K?

The Peoples Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party seem to be nearing an agreement to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir, sources said on Friday.

The PDP on Friday declared that it would field only two candidates for the forthcoming election to the four Rajya Sabha seats. 

The PDP’s decision to field Nazir Ahmad Laway and Fayaz Ahmad Mir -- both from Kashmir Valley -- for the election, sources said, is an indication that it may be warming up to the BJP.

Party’s chief spokesperson Naeem Akhtar said the decision was taken by party president Mehbooba Mufti after consulting senior leaders of the party.

Akhtar was quoted by a local newspaper saying, “It is obvious that the BJP and PDP can win all the seats if they contest jointly. Therefore, it is again obvious that we have to look for some arrangement to ensure that we win all the seats.”

The election is scheduled for February 7 and notification for polls has already been issued with January 28

as the last date for filing of nomination papers.

Earlier in the day, BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav too hinted that talks were in progress.

Stressing that people there had voted for a government and not instability, Madhav said, "We are shortly going to have a good government in Jammu and Kashmir."

Asked if PDP was on board, he said without naming the party that "there are very concrete and very positive efforts which are being made towards forming a good government in state".

Madhav, who was the party's in-charge for polls in the state and has been fronting talks with prospective allies, said the mandate was for BJP to be in government even as he parried a query as to whether it will be the senior or junior partner in any possible alliance saying that conditions cannot be laid while holding talks.

With agency inputs