All Set To Ink the Deal
The political deadlock in Jammu and Kashmir is likely to come to an end sometime next week with a PDP-BJP coalition government soon set to take charge, PTI has reported.
Not surprisingly, the Congress continues to be against the alliance.
According to PTI, senior state BJP leader, Nirmal Singh, whose name has been doing the rounds for the post of Deputy Chief Minister, said that the state would soon have a government in place.
“We held discussions on government formation (in J&K) and talks held with PDP. Further talks with PDP are on and they are on positive lines. Things are narrowing down on crucial issues.”
- Nirmal Singh
Likewise, PDP Chief Spokesman Naeem Akhtar too said, “when it is done, it will be declared”.
The state has been under Governor’s rule for close to two months now. The December polls yielded a hung assembly with the PDP emerging with 28 MLAs and the BJP with 25 MLAs in the 87-member Assembly.
The Common Minimum Programme
The two parties - PDP and BJP - are believed to have come to a decision on a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) which has touched upon several sensitive issues such as Article 370 and the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had, earlier, hardened its stand on the CMP stating that it would not compromise on core issues like the AFSPA or Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.
The two parties have now reportedly come to an agreement on the formation of a committee which will take a deeper look at AFSPA and suggest areas from where it can possibly be revoked, while the PDP had earlier wanted a complete removal of AFSPA from the state.
The AFSPA is an act of the Parliament, which grants special powers to the Indian Armed Forces in “disturbed areas”. However, it has come under criticism for alleged human rights violations in the regions of its enforcement.
On the issue of Article 370 (Article 370 of the Indian constitution is a law that grants special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir) the BJP has not given a written assurance as demanded by the PDP, but the CMP is expected to say that both parties will respect the aspirations of the people of the state within the constitution. The original Article 370 limits the centre’s jurisdiction in the state to defence, foreign affairs and communication.
The PDP had earlier released an 11-point demand list, which included issues such as negotiation with the Hurriyat and no citizenship for displaced Hindus from Pakistan, settled in Jammu since 1947.
According to sources, the portfolios have also been finalised with the PDP walking away with Home and Finance and the BJP getting Tourism and Water Resources, Public Health Engineering and Planning.
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