Jammu: Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti, who on Wednesday met Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra to discuss government formation in the state, told reporters that her party was not in a hurry to cobble up a coalition.
“PDP's priority is not to cobble up majority for the sake of government,” Mehbooba Mufti said after her one-hour long meeting with the Governor. “We want to form a government that meets the aspirations of the people,” she added.
"We have support of 55 MLAs in the state. But it is our intention and effort that a stable government is formed here to address the huge problems faced by the people in the state," the PDP leader stated.
While saying that the J&K poll mandate was a big responsibility for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the PDP chief stressed that any alliance that is stitched together should be on the basis of the development agenda of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
"We want that the agenda of development and peace should be carried forward. We want (former prime minister) Atal Bihari Vajpayee's peace process be carried to its logical conclusion," she added.
“Today’s mandate is very challenging and at the same time an opportunity for both Congress and NDA,” she said further, adding both the Congress and NDA should use the opportunity to reach out to the people of J&K. “Only then J&K can truly become a model state.”
Mufti added that the coalition should also be based on mutual respect.
The PDP leader had arrived in Jammu on Tuesday for parleys with the Governor, who had last week invited Mufti and BJP state president Jugal Kishore Sharma for separate meetings to hold talks on formation of government in the state.
Also today, senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz met the Governor and but denied discussing government formation with him.
“I didn't discuss politics or government formation. It was a courtesy call,” Saifuddin Soz said.
The Assembly Elections threw up a hung verdict with PDP emerging as the single-largest party with 28 seats in the 87-member House.
BJP emerged as the second-largest party with 25 seats followed by National Conference at 15 and Congress with 12.
Smaller parties and independents won seven seats.
So far no single party, or combination of parties, have staked claim for formation of the government.
Meanwhile, PDP led by Mehbooba's father and party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is holding intra-party discussions on possible alliances which the party can enter into to form the next government.
The PDP patron has been meeting party leaders, newly-elected legislators, senior workers and some of the members of the civil society in a bid to shape the party's response to the challenge thrown up by the fractured verdict.
An elected government has to be put in place by January 19, failing which the President's Rule will be imposed in the state.
(With PTI inputs)
