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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  Deal on J&K govt may be sealed after Friday’s Modi-Sayeed meet
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Deal on J&K govt may be sealed after Friday’s Modi-Sayeed meet

Nearly two-month-long discussions now complete as BJP set to get post of deputy chief minister

A file photo of BJP president Amit Shah with PDP president Mehbooba Mufti addressing a joint press conference regarding their alliance in J&K government in New Delhi on Tuesday. Photo: PTI (PTI)Premium
A file photo of BJP president Amit Shah with PDP president Mehbooba Mufti addressing a joint press conference regarding their alliance in J&K government in New Delhi on Tuesday. Photo: PTI
(PTI)

New Delhi: The alliance between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is likely to be finalized on Friday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, who is tipped to be the chief minister for the coalition’s entire six-year term.

The nearly two-month-long discussions between the two parties is now complete, say several people familiar with the matter, and the BJP will get the post of deputy chief minister in the Jammu and Kashmir government.

This is the first time that the BJP will be part of the government in Jammu and Kashmir. The new government is expected to take charge on Sunday.

The meeting between Modi and Sayeed comes just three days after BJP president Amit Shah met Mehbooba Mufti, daughter of Sayeed and senior leader of PDP, in New Delhi on Tuesday. Both alliance partners have decided to make governance and development the focus of their common minimum programme (CMP), people familiar with the matter said.

None of the people Mint spoke to wanted to be identified ahead of a formal announcement.

“The swearing-in ceremony will be held in Jammu on Sunday, 1 March. The meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mufti Mohammed Sayeed will be the final step and the announcement of Sayeed as the chief minister will also be made after the meeting," said a senior BJP leader from Jammu and Kashmir who is involved in the talks between the parties.

“The meeting between Modi and Sayeed was delayed by a few days because PDP leaders wanted the government to start negotiations with (hardline group) Hurriyat which was vehemently opposed by the BJP leaders. We have made it clear that Hurriyat will not be given importance and any decision on talks will be made by the central government," the BJP leader added.

Other leaders of the two parties admit that the alliance between BJP and PDP is an unlikely one because of ideologically differences, especially about Article 370 that gives special status to the state (which the BJP would dearly like to see scrapped) and Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) that gives extraordinary powers to the army (that the PDP would like to see scrapped).

“The common minimum programme will list the work the state government will promise to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the next six years. It can be expanded at a later stage once the government starts functioning. This is the list of minimum work promised by the government, and not the maximum promises," the BJP leader mentioned in the first instance said.

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Published: 26 Feb 2015, 09:32 PM IST
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