JAMMU, July 7: The disgruntled PDP legislators, who have revolted against party president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, have said that they are prepared to shake hands with the BJP if it accepted to make Muslim from Kashmir CM and pledge that it would implement the Agenda of Alliance (AoA). “The BJP has to show its commitment to implementation of the AoA. There should be no fresh terms and conditions for government formation in the state. Any demand by the BJP for a Hindu CM is not acceptable to us,” said MLA Zadibal, Abid Ansari. He said that “when the BJP had entered into an alliance with PDP for forming the government, it hadn’t insisted on a Hindu CM.
Ansari is a Shia leader. On Friday he claimed that “at least 24 MLAs of the PDP are of the view that Mehbooba Mufti promoted dynastic rule.” He revealed that the disgruntled MLAs have expressed willingness to enter into a fresh alliance with the BJP, but the terms and conditions of the new government should be same as were set during former CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s tenure. Ansari also claimed that former minister and People’s Conference (PC) leader Sajjad Gani Lone could also be a part of the government in the state, and the disgruntled PDP MLAs have no objection if he becomes the CM.
Reports from Kashmir said the names of former Finance Minister and Rajpora MLA, Haseeb Drabu, and Abid’s nephew and former minister Imran Ansari are also in consideration for the post of CM.
In the meantime, a senior BJP leader in Kashmir has said the party is in touch with the PDP leaders who are ready to break away and form the government.
The BJP and PC together have a total of 27 MLAs-25 from the BJP and two of the PC. The BJP-PC combine requires another 17 MLAs to form the government which requires 44 seats.
Earlier, Mehbooba was reportedly toying with the idea of forming coalition government with the Congress and some independent lawmakers. But all her hopes were dashed to the ground on July 4, when the Congress rejected the idea of forming coalition government in the state and demanded fresh elections. But more than that, the revolt in the PDP upset her applecart.
Sources close the disgruntled PDP MLAs have said: “A significant factor in the present circumstances is that the Speaker of the Assembly Nirmal Singh is from the BJP. Any efforts by Mufti to disqualify less than two-thirds of the MLAs who could break away from the party would have to be accepted by the Speaker.”
