Woman leader to replace Ram Madhav as BJP’s JK incharge

As the new government in Jammu and Kashmir should be in place by January-end, the BJP is likely to place a woman leader in charge of party affairs in the state to streamline coordination with coalition partner PDP, highly-placed BJP sources here said. “Now that the initial hiccups are over, the next Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party government should be in place before the end of this month,” the sources told IANS. The sources said BJP general secretary Ram Madhav is likely to have a lesser role in the state…

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Farooq, Omar differ on exodus, Pandits’ return to Valley

The father-son duo of Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah seem to be on opposite sides when it comes to the exodus of 3.50 lakh Kashmiri Pandit and their return to the Valley. While National Conference president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdulla sympathised with the displaced community and blamed the Central government for their plight, the senior Abdullah said the “onus is on the Pandits” to make a comeback to the Valley. Farooq recently said: “They (Pandits) have to realise one thing, nobody is going to come with a begging…

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Keeping silent doesn’t mean I endorse alliance with BJP: Karra

Senior PDP leader and MP Tariq Hameed Karra Monday said maintaining silence does not mean that he endorses party’s alliance with BJP. “Keeping silence does not mean I endorse the alliance with BJP. A section of media has reported that I did not speak during the meeting, and at the same time have reported I did not support or oppose the alliance with BJP,” Karra said. He was referring to media reports in which it was stated that Karra maintained silence during the PDP core group meeting called by party…

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‘PDP not looking for other coalition options’ BJP heaves sigh of relief

BJP heaved a sigh of relief after PDP’s official meeting regarding government formation made it clear that the party was not exploring other coalition options as speculated earlier. Talking to us, senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister, Nirmal Singh said: “After yesterday’s meeting we came to know that PDP is not looking other options. It was a hopeful hint from PDP although it was unofficial.” However, the saffron party is yet to receive any formal communiqué from PDP. Singh said since the period of official mourning following Mufti…

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Agenda of Alliance can’t be implemented in 10 months: BJP

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ cannot be implemented within 10-months. “Agenda of Alliance between PDP and BJP is for six years when the government completes its term. The agenda cannot be achieved in 10 months. PDP is not right when it says that the Agenda of Alliance with BJP was not fulfilled,” the BJP General Secretary (organization) Ashok Koul told KNS. Asked whether BJP had approached NC for government formation, the BJP leader said “There is not truth in it.” Koul said that the…

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Illegal confinement taking heavy toll on my health: Geelani

Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who is not feeling well for past several days, on Monday said continuous confinement to house is taking heavy toll on his health. The octogenarian pro-freedom leader is suffering with chest congestion and is undergoing treatment at his Hyderpora residence. After complaining of breathlessness, Geelani was administered oxygen on Sunday morning. “By Almighty Allah’s blessings, I am gradually recovering and feeling a bit better now,” Geelani said sitting in his drawing room. Pointing towards medicines and injection vials on his side…

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Deliver on promises or break alliance: Omar to Mehbooba

Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has asked PDP president Mehbooba Mufti to either deliver on the promises made to people of Jammu and Kashmir or break the alliance with the BJP. “Mehbooba Mufti, or the PDP for that matter, has two options — to either deliver on the promises made to people of J&K or break the alliance with the BJP. To hang on to this alliance with the BJP for dear life while pretending to be the unwavering example of high morality is akin to aspiring to have the…

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Pandits cannot return to Valley till normalcy returns: Rahul Bhat

Bollywood actor and Kashmiri Pandit Rahul Bhat today said the community could not think of going back to the Valley unless the Army was called back and situation became normal in Kashmir. Bhat was addressing a press conference in Jammu, where he announced that he is going to start the shooting of his film of Kashmiri Pandit boy “To hell with the heaven”. While talking about the present situation in Kashmir for the return of Kashmiri Pandits, Bhat said, “I do not have any political agenda, but I think the…

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Ties with PDP strong, says BJP

Dismisses rumours that it is exploring other options to form govt A day after the Peoples Democratic Party cleared that it was not “in a hurry” to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir, its coalition partner Bharatiya Janata Party today said it was not exploring any other option on government formation and its alliance with the PDP was “strong”. “We have not received any official communication (on government formation) from the PDP so far but our alliance with the PDP is strong and intact. We are not exploring any…

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JK Govt formation: Numbers firmly in PDP-BJP’s favour, but here are the other equations

PDP had bagged the highest number of seats out of total 87 in 2015 assembly elections.  The demise of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7 has created a power vacuum in Jammu and Kashmir. With the possibility of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti becoming the next CM, there have been a lot of uncertainty surrounding the continuation of the BJP-PDP alliance in the state. After a party meeting on Sunday, it was reported that Mehbooba will not overturn her father’s decision and continue the alliance with BJP. Also, the…

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