New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir have reportedly narrowed down their differences on forging an alliance to form a ‘stable' government in the state.
According to reports available, CM post will go to PDP, while deputy CM will be from BJP.
Interestingly, the state unit of the BJP is now divided over the post of deputy chief minister.
Sources said the BJP has agreed to full, six-year term with the PDP leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as chief minister but the senior leadership is now lobbying for the deputy chief minister's post and some key ministries in the next government.
“We have almost reached a consensus to form the next government with the PDP,'' BJP national executive council member and MLA from Billawar, Nirmal Singh, told The Indian Express. “J&K will soon have a stable government headed by a mature politician and a good cabinet team,” he said.
PDP chief spokesman Nayeem Akhtar also confirmed that a PDP-BJP government would be formed by mid-February.
Sources said the new government was likely to be sworn in around February 15, as the PDP doesn't want it to coincide with the death anniversaries of Maqbool Bhat and Afzal Guru. Initially, 15 ministers are set to be sworn in, with equal representation from both parties.
The PDP and BJP are already fighting the elections for four Rajya Sabha seats together.
PDP spokesman Akhtar, however, claimed that the two parties had not discussed the contours of the cabinet or portfolios.
