BJP-PDP coalition is an opportunistic alliance: Congress

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Peoples Democratic Party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed sealed the alliance between the BJP and the PDP to form a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress on Saturday termed its as an 'opportunistic alliance'.

BJP-PDP coalition is an opportunistic alliance: Congress

New Delhi: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Peoples Democratic Party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed sealed the alliance between the BJP and the PDP to form a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress on Saturday termed it as an 'opportunistic alliance'.

Talking to news agency ANI, Congress leader PC Chacko said, “The BJP-PDP alliance is an opportunistic alliance.”

However, the Congress leader opined that it was good as the people of J&K will get a government.

According to highly-placed sources, Sayeed will be heading a 25-member cabinet which will have 12 BJP MLAs including a Deputy Chief Minister post. This is the first time that BJP is in the government in the state.

79-year-old Sayeed will take oath as the state's Chief Minister along with 12 members each from PDP and BJP at Jammu at a ceremony to be attended by Modi. BJP's Nirmal Singh is expected to be the Deputy Chief Minister.

The two parties, bitter rivals in the past, have held intense negotiations since December when the election verdict resulted in a hung Assembly, to put together the coalition on the basis of Common Minimum Programme (CMP) which will be released on Sunday. The CMP will cover all controversial issues like Article 370, Armed Forces Special Powers Act and resettlement of West Pakistan Refugees.

The Assembly election to the 87-member assembly threw a fractured verdict with PDP emerging as the single largest party with 28 seats followed by 25 of the BJP.

Sayeed, who met Modi on Friday, said that the prime minister underlined the need to bring peace in the troubled state. "He has a dream of making it an island of peace," he said, adding he had told Modi that it was important to make Pakistan a part of the peace building process in Jammu and Kashmir.

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