Mehbooba Mufti All Set to Form the Next J&K Govt With the BJP

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti will be the next chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. The PDP will form government with BJP.

PDP President Mehbooba Mufti addressing a crucial legislature party meeting in which she was elected chief ministerial candidate, on Thursday. (Photo: PTI)

Mehbooba Mufti, the Peoples Democratic Party’s chief ministerial candidate for Jammu and Kashmir, has staked claim to form the government along with its ally, the BJP. Mehbooba Mufti will be the state’s first woman chief minister.

The PDP and the BJP met with Jammu and Kashmir Governor, NN Vohra, and discussed the same with him. After the meeting, Mehbooba Mufti said,

I am thankful to the BJP for their unconditional support. We are satisfied with the assurances that were given by the prime minister.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and Bharatiya Janata Party senior leader, Nirmal Singh, had sought a meeting with the governor on Saturday and followed through.

BJP’s Nirmal Singh said, “ We have submitted the letter to the governor where BJP legislators have unanimously supported the PDP in government formation”.

We shall sit together with the PDP and discuss all details and formalities

<b>Nirmal Singh, BJP leader</b>

After a late Friday night meeting between BJP national general secretary, Ram Madhav, and Mehbooba Mufti, it was decided that the chief ministerial candidate and deputy chief ministerial candidate would meet Vohra on Saturday, sources added.

The BJP will hand over the letter of support for the formation of the government to Governor Vohra. A suitable date will be decided for the swearing-in ceremony.&nbsp;

<b>Jitender Singh, Union Minister</b>

In the 87-member legislative assembly,

• The PDP has 27 MLAs (it had 28 before the death of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed).
  
• An independent MLA from the Ladakh region also supports the PDP.
  
• The BJP has 25 MLAs.
  
• The BJP is supported by two MLAs of People’s Conference, headed by Sajad Lone
  
• One independent candidate also supports the BJP.
  

The state was placed under governor’s rule on 8 January, a day after the then-chief minister, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed passed away in New Delhi.

Also read: Did Modi Go Against BJP’s Big Guns to Pitch for Mehbooba Mufti?

(With inputs from IANS)