Though National Conference (NC) Vice President and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reacted sharply to the recent remark of BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav on the possibility of NC’s participation in the next elections with a counter remark ‘National Conference won’t give a walk over to BJP and its allies in Kashmir’ but PDP Chief and another former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti did not bother to react to Ram Madhav’s remark on her party’s participation in elections if assembly is dissolved. Interestingly the National Conference spokesman and MLA Budgam Agha Syed Ruhullah in his quick reaction to Ram Madhav’s remark on possibility of NC’s participation in assembly elections accused Madhav of indirect intervention into the affairs of the Jammu & Kashmir government but PDP choose to remain silent obviously to keep the doors open for resuming its alliance with BJP and neutralizing the role of its rebels dropping hints of supporting a Sajad Lone led PDP-BJP political combination in the state.
PDP’s silence shows that the party is still open to other options for resuming the party’s alliance with BJP before the commencement of Lok Sabha elections early next year.
Not only Ram Madhav but other BJP leaders both in Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir have been issuing provocative remarks against both National Conference and PDP over their non participation in civic elections and resumption of dialogue with Pakistan but PDP hardly bothers to contradict the statements of BJP leaders on major issues concerning civic polls and restoration of peace and popular rule in Jammu & Kashmir state. Though top BJP leaders and Union Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh very recently accused both National Conference and PDP of trying to stall the process of elections for urban local bodies and panchayats but PDP unlike National Conference did not bother to contradict the accusations of Jitendra Singh. PDP’s silence over BJP’s provocations amid rejection of a demand for dissolution of assembly by governor and hints of government formation dropped by a senior leader of J&K BJP Ashok Koul shows that the party has not shut doors for the saffron party over the formation of a new government in Jammu and Kashmir. Interestingly a coalition with PDP could be acceptable even to PDP rebels if Mehbooba agrees to nominate any one other than herself for the position of Chief Minister. PDP’s silence shows that the party is still open to other options for resuming the party’s alliance with BJP before the commencement of Lok Sabha elections early next year.
