Clear picture on Kashmir govt formation to emerge soon: Amit Shah

Bhubaneswar: A clear picture on government formation in Jammu and Kashmir will emerge soon, BJP President Amit Shah said in Bhubaneswar on Wenesday while noting that discussions are underway. [caption id=“attachment_2035247” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] BJP chief Amit Shah. PTI[/caption] “No decision has been taken on Jammu and Kashmir so far, but negotiations are on and a clear picture on government formation will emerge soon,” he told reporters when asked about the development on this front. BJP, which has emerged as the second largest party with 25 seats in the 87-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, is in talks with PDP which is the largest party with 28 seats. PDP on Tuesday said any alliance with BJP has to be on the basis of Common Minimum Programme (CMP) and a structured dialogue. “Structured dialogue has not yet started. We are looking forward,” PDP chief spokesperson Nayeem Akhtar had said. “If the alliance has to be struck, it has to be (on the basis of) structured dialogue and CMP,” Akhtar had added. Asked about the issues confronting the two parties, including rotational Chief Ministership, Akhtar said “issues will be discussed in a structured dialogue”. BJP has already indicated that controversial issues could be set aside for formation of the government. The Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra has set 19 January deadline for formation of the government in the state. Meanwhile, senior state BJP chief Nirmal Singh said in Kathua in Jammu region that the talks being held will move forward when the issues raised by the pary are agreed to. “We will not talk anything which will undermine the sovereignty of the country in Jammu and Kashmir and weaken it,” he said, adding that “whosoever party wants to talk to us, we will take the talks further on for the formation of the government on issues.” He told reporters that “all options are open” when asked whether PDP is the only option that BJP was looking at or NC could also be considered. “Till now there is no structured dialogue started (with PDP),” he said. Queried why BJP is looking to PDP when option of NC is open, Singh said, “In Jammu and Kashmir, whatever appears in the media as far as the government formation is concerned, BJP has one thing to say that no structured dialogue has been started so far (with PDP).” He added, “All channels are open (for government formation). Whatever is outcome, you will be informed. To say anything beyond that would be not feasible.” He said that BJP’s priority was to form a “good, credible and a transparent government, which will put an end to the corruption in the state.” There are the long pending issues of J&K including refugees’s issue, delimitation issue, regional discrimination which would be priority. PTI