Jammu: BJP today asserted that no government in Jammu and Kashmir was possible without the party being part of it, even as a two-member party delegation met Governor N N Vohra to discuss the matter and said it would submit a formal proposal to him on January 1.
“Efforts are on (for the formation of the government)... Without us, no government is possible in the state,” BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, who met the Governor, along with party state unit chief and MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, told reporters here.
“We have to be a part in the government, we are discussing and let's see what happens,” Madhav said and refused to divulge what transpired in the meeting with the Governor saying “it was just a courtesy visit”.
A day after the PDP came out with the idea of a “grand alliance” with its arch-rival National Conference and the Congress to form the government, BJP slammed the plan as a “betrayal” with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking to reporters, BJP state unit chief Sharma said, “Party leaders will meet the Governor on January 1 to hand him our proposal. Today's meeting with the Governor can be seen a part of the ongoing process of government formation.”
“The process of government formation is on and during this process people keep on meeting but our formal meeting with the Governor is scheduled for January 1 when the BJP will be submitting its proposal to the Governor,” he said.
Asked about the PDP's grand alliance plan, Sharma said, “Though I am not aware about the formation of any such alliance, but if any such alliance is formed, it would be a betrayal with the people of state as BJP got the maximum share of votes in the elections”.
The Assembly elections threw up a fractured verdict with PDP emerging as the single largest party with 28 seats in the 87-member Assembly and BJP the second largest party with 25 seats. National Conference won 15 seats and Congress 12.
Smaller parties and independents together won seven seats.
On talks between PDP and BJP for government formation, Sharma said, “We cannot rule out that talks are going on. This is part of the process and we are exploring options on who will support the BJP, but only BJP can provide a stable government to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
Demanding that the next chief minister should be from BJP, he said, “We have authorised party president Amit Shah to take a decision. The decision will be taken after consultation with the state unit of the party and we maintain that the chief minister should be from BJP.”
During the 30-minute meeting with the Governor, the BJP leaders deliberated on efforts for formation of a stable government in the state, he said.
Sharma said the BJP was holding discussion with all the stakeholders and has kept all the options open for formation of the next government.
“We are not denying that we are holding discussion with other parties. We are in touch with all the stakeholders in the state. Only an alliance with BJP can provide a stable government to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
