Early Times Report
jammu, Jan 21: The Modi Government has picked up Union Finance Secretary RP Wattal to hold deliberations with the PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, tipped to be the next Chief Minister.
Wattal was picked up by the Modi Government as he was close to former CM late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who had reportedly even offered him the post of the Chief Secretary though he declined as he had more important posting at the Centre.
The picking up of Wattal is important as he reports directly to the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who knows J&K affairs fully and reports directly to Modi.
Wattal is a Kashmiri Pandit and his picking up also reflects that Modi Government has decided to sideline another KP, who was picked up by the Mufti Sayeed as his political advisor.
"Modi Government clearly doesn't have any trust or confidence in the former political advisor of Mufti Sayeed. So that's the reason the Wattal has been picked up," said the sources.
It's after the meeting of the Wattal with the PDP president last week that the party had mellowed down its reluctance on forming Government with the BJP. The party spokesperson Mehboob Beg had first said that Government will be formed with the BJP but the party soon dubbed it as his personal view and after that he didn't make any statement. However, after the Wattal held deliberations with the PDP president, the party in its first meeting of the senior leaders chaired by the Mehbooba Mufti that party decided to go ahead with the agenda-of-alliance, clearly showing that party wants to continue with the BJP and that's seen as an achievement by Wattal. |
