Srinagar: Even as speculations were rife about Bharatiya Janata Party joining hands with National Conference to form government in Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah clarified on Thursday that there was no discussion going on between the two parties.
Omar posted on the micro-blogging site Twitter: “So many stories doing the rounds about a BJP-NC deal. Let me say this as strongly as possible – There is no deal nor any discussion going on.”
In another post he wrote: “I hope someone from the PDP/BJP/Cong steps up and forms a government in J&K quickly. Denying stupid rumours is fast becoming a full time job.”
So many stories doing the rounds about a BJP NC deal. Let me say this as strongly as possible - THERE IS NO DEAL NOR ANY DISCUSSION going on
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) December 25, 2014
I hope someone from the PDP/BJP/Cong steps up & forms a government in J&K quickly. Denying stupid rumours is fast becoming a full time job.
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) December 25, 2014
Reports were doing the rounds that the BJP, which won 25 seats in the recently held Assembly Elections in the border state, may join hands with Omar's party to form government.
It was also being said that the NC had put certain conditions on the table for the BJP like Deputy CM's post, four Cabinet berths, a ministerial berth at the Centre and a Rajya Sabha seat.
Some reports also suggested that BJP leader Jitendra Singh may be chosen tomorrow as the leader of the BJP's state legislature party. This essentially means that it will pave the way for him to become the first BJP CM of J&K and also the first Hindu head of the government, if the coalition comes to power.
NC has 15 seats in the 87-member Assembly, while the PDP has won 28 seats.
In terms of vote share, BJP emerged as the largest party securing 23 percent votes, with PDP coming second with 22.7 percent, National Conference getting 20.8 percent and the Congress registering 18 percent of votes.
Jitendra Singh was the chief spokesperson for J&K and is a Minister of State (MoS) in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet.
He won the Lok Sabha elections in May this year from Udhampur seat.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley flew to Jammu today to meet the newly elected party MLAs.
In a related event, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav met People's Conference leader Sajad Lone here on Thursday leading to conjectures of some sort of a tie-up between them in J&K.
The meeting reportedly lasted for an hour. Lone's party has two seats in the Assembly.
