The Union Government is unlikely to announce any Kashmir-centric confidence- building measures at this point of time even though PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has extended an olive branch to the saffron party for restitching the alliance.
The BJP high command has asked Mehbooba to take over as Chief Minister of the state to get the package, both political and financial, as it is opposed to the idea of announcing CBMs before the alliance is restitched.
Mehbooba, while addressing party workers at Kupwara in north Kashmir on March 8, had termed her father’s decision of going with the BJP as final. Apparently softening her stand, Mehbooba had stated that for her the decision taken by her father was written in stone. Although Mehbooba has shown some flexibility to break the logjam, the BJP leadership is adamant about its stand.
Highly placed sources said that during back-channel discussions, BJP leaders made it clear to the PDP’s interlocutors that there was no reason to announce any package for the state at this juncture when there was no political government.
Interlocutors, sources said, had been assured that the Centre would accept all genuine demands of the PDP leadership but the only precondition was that Mehbooba should get into the driving seat to end the prevailing political uncertainty in the sensitive state.
“Former Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, who was negotiating on behalf of the PDP with BJP senior leaders, was clearly told about this precondition of the BJP,” a source said, adding that the saffron party was unanimous on the issue and this message had been conveyed to the PDP president through interlocutors too.
PDP chief cancels Doda visit
Rain played spoilsport in Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti’s three-day tour to erstwhile district Doda today.
This was her first visit to the area after her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s death.
She had to return to Srinagar from the Patnitop tourist resort in Ramban district around 10 am today when heavy rain lashed the entire state.
Mehbooba was scheduled to address a public rally in Doda after kick-starting the statewide membership drive for the district followed by a rally at Kishtwar on Saturday. She had to end her tour by addressing a rally in Ramban on Sunday. But the rain forced the party to cancel the tour before it could even begin.
BJP sets terms for Mehbooba; Take charge then only we will unveil CBMs
