This morning’s meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti in New Delhi could have been held in the second week of January itself and Jammu and Kashmir would have been spared the political uncertainty which it witnessed for more than 10 weeks.
Mehbooba had suggested holding the meeting in January itself so that she could state her position and the necessity for some of the measures to move ahead in government formation. But that time her suggestion was turned down. It was conveyed to her that the meeting with the Prime Minister could not be held unless everything had been sorted out and she assumed the office of Chief Minister.
“Negotiations with whom, not with the leader of a political party. The Government of India doesn’t engage with parties like this. She should have some constitutional capacity to talk at this level,” this was the message that was delivered to the PDP by the Centre.
The same argument was advanced when it was suggested that let the discussion be at the party level — that is between Mehbooba and BJP president Amit Shah.
The game of restitching the alliance after the death of former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on July 7 was being played as if the two parties were looking at an altogether different island of politics even after having worked together for more than 10 months. The politics of prestige stepped in and the real issues got relegated to the background.
When Mehbooba was approached first to form the government on January 8 morning, she simply told a team of the trusted men of her father, “I am not in a frame of mind to take over as Chief Minister.”
Later, that evening, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav made the same plea, she told her that she was in a state of mourning.
At the same time, she told him that there were certain points in the “Agenda of Alliance” which required immediate attention and action within a set time frame.
The BJP thought that she was being “stubborn”. It started looking for options: it first approached the National Conference and then tried to cause a split in the PDP until it found that the national mood, particularly in Kashmir, would not approve of it. There were ambitious people within the National Conference and also in the PDP who wanted to get into the government.
The National Conference’s “no”, however, made the BJP to look for other options.
Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stood his ground. He said: “Nothing doing. We will never form the government with the BJP come what may.”
It was his stand that kept the BJP struggling with the idea of splitting the PDP. There were willing souls, eager to make a Faustian bargain. But, the loss of face and the fear of Mehbooba emerging politically stronger made the BJP to revert to the PDP president.
Much time was lost in the process. Had this meeting taken place in January, the state would have been witnessing the continuation of the political government without the interruption of more than 10- week Central rule.
Politics of prestige delayed Mehbooba’s meet with PM
