PDP chief sought ‘conducive’ atmosphere for Govt formation

by Abbas Adil

A day after meeting the rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary and Incharge Kashmir Affairs, Ram Madhav, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President, Mehbooba Mufti Thursday constituted PDP’s election board for overhauling the party.

Mehbooba appointed the senior PDP leader and former minister, Abdul Rehman Veeri as the Chairman of the election board while Dhaman Bhasin and Flail Singh as its members, a PDP spokesman said.

According to sources, the decision has been taken to realign the party’s structure and give back some important party portfolios to the senior PDP leaders and pave way for Mehbooba’s brother, Tasadduq Hussain Mufti’s entry into politics.

The sources said during the meeting with BJP General Secretary and Kashmir Affairs Incharge Ram Madhav, Mehbooba sought assurances of the BJP high command for having a “conducive environment” in the State.

Mehbooba had an hour-long meeting with Madhav Thursday evening after he arrived in Srinagar in an unscheduled special flight VTJSG.

The meeting had been kept a top secret until Madhav quietly drove to Mehbooba’s Fairview residence at Gupkar road.

The sources said Mehbooba did not make any demands like the return of power projects to the State from NHPC and relocation of troops from civilian areas but only gave some suggestions that could help create a conducive atmosphere in the State.

They said Mehbooba raised concern over the crackdown on Kashmiri students in Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and tried to explain to Madhav how these incidents disturb the peace in the State.

The sources said the PDP leadership had already raised the issue of implementation of the Agenda of Alliance, the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) chalked by the two parties before forming the government in March last year.

Mehbooba was tipped to be the first woman chief minister of Jammu Kashmir after the death of her father Mufti Muhammad Sayeed on January 7.

However, she showed no hurry in taking up the top post and reengaged with BJP on various issues concerning the State.

As the stalemate over government formation continued following Mufti’s death, Governor’s rule was imposed on January 8. 

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