BJP-PDP deal: Jammu and Kashmir government before February 23

Описание: The BJP and the People's Democratic Party in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday finally reached an agreement over the formation of the government which they said will be done before February 23. Under the agreement reached between the two largest parties in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, the PDP will get the chief minister's post while a BJP leader will be the Deputy CM.

Sources said PDP veteran Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who is likely to be the next Jammu and Kashmir CM, will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the next three days to finalise a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) to be shared by the two allies. For almost a month, the BJP and the PDP had been working on the CMP which includes controversial issues like Article 370, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the Uniform Civil Code.

Jammu and Kashmir elected a hung Assembly after the votes of the five-phased election were counted on December 23 last year with the PDP emerging as the single largest party with 28 seats in the 87-member House. The BJP emerged as the second largest party with 25 seats followed by the National Conference at 15 and Congress with 12. Smaller parties and independents won seven seats.


Last week, Sayeed had asserted that the two parties will work "shoulder-to-shoulder" to provide good government to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. There would be structured dialogue between leaders of the two parties and discussions would be held on the issues to finalise on a Common Minimum Programme before forming the government," the PDP leader said.


The Governor's Rule was imposed in the state on January 9, a day after National Conference leader Omar Abdullah asked Governor NN Vohra to relieve him of the duties of caretaker chief minister with immediate effect