Govt in J&K not possible without BJP, says Rajnath

Governor N N Vohra on Friday sent separate letters to the PDP and BJP, inviting them for discussions on forming the government.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh with the Mayor of Lucknow Dinesh Sharma at a function organised for membership to the party, at Madhav Sabhagar in Lucknow on Saturday. (PTI Photo)

Four days after the Jammu and Kashmir elections threw up a hung assembly, the BJP sent out signals that it would neither give up on attempts to form the government in the state nor compromise on issues such as Article 370 to strike a deal with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“In the existing scenario, a new government in J&K is not possible without the BJP,” Home Minister Rajnath Singh told a meeting of BJP workers in Lucknow on Saturday.

In Jammu, state BJP president and MP from the Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha constituency, Jugal Kishore Sharma, said the BJP was in no hurry to push the pace of developments.

“BJP is not going to take any step in a hurry,” Sharma said. “Whenever we go to the Governor, we will go after thorough deliberations among us. We have kept all options open; a decision will be taken after consultations with the party leadership.”

Governor N N Vohra on Friday sent separate letters to the PDP and BJP, inviting them for discussions on forming the government.

The BJP also indicated that it was unwilling to concede the PDP’s demand for an assurance on safeguarding Article 370 and revoking AFSPA. “Modiji has called for a debate on it. While a decision on it will depend on consensus among people, let the debate go on,” said a senior party leader who declined to be named.

First uploaded on: 28-12-2014 at 04:36 IST

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