The pace of the government formation process has picked up in Jammu and Kashmir and the first major signs are likely to appear by Sunday.
It is expected that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have seen the thrust areas and the time-line of the important clauses of agenda of alliance before Sunday to facilitate further movement in giving a long-awaited popular government in Jammu and Kashmir.
This sensitive border state is without a political government since the death of chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7. Currently, it is under Governor’s rule. Sources said that following BJP general secretary Ram Madhav’s meeting with the PDP president in Srinagar on Wednesday evening, the channels of communication have widened and the thrust areas of the agenda of the alliance identified. Each of the important items relating to the economic assistance and deployment of Army, besides the power projects and smart cities, is under threadbare discussion.
Since PDP leader and former Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu was the co-author of the agenda of the alliance early last year, he has been deputed to hold discussions on the subject.
He and Ram Madhav had finalised the common minimum programme before Mufti Sayeed and the Prime Minister met to agree to work together to form the first-ever PDP-BJP coalition government. The same exercise would be repeated before Mehbooba Mufti and Modi meet this time, we have learnt. Both Modi and BJP president Amit Shah have conveyed to Ram Madhav and others involved in the process that there is no scope for further delay in the matter. Meanwhile, Mehbooba Mufti is keeping a track of the developments and at the same time preparing for an important meeting of her party for launching a membership drive on Sunday.
She has told the senior leaders whether there is a government or not, the party will face the challenges by pursuing its “pro-people” policies.
Modi to take call on govt formation
