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| Loser Congress holds key to next Govt | | NC asks Congress for support, PDP plays it cool | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu, Dec 28: One of the major sufferers in the present elections, as the results clearly suggest, the Congress has interestingly become a ‘king maker’ holding key to the formation of next government in Jammu and Kashmir.
None of the parties have emerged anywhere closer to the required number of 44 in the House of 87 to form the next government. The National Conference with its tally of 28 seats needs 16 more to form the government. Peoples Democratic Party with its 21 seats needs 23 more to stake claim for the government. The Congress finishing third with 17 seats can play a decisive role in shaping up the next government. In any case, Congress is likely to be the part of ruling formation that emerged after consultations.
The BJP, which has emerged as main gainer in the elections, has clearly ruled out joining hands with any party and has accepted to sit in the opposition. Other three parties too have categorically asserted that making an alliance with the BJP was completely out of consideration. It is, therefore, for the Congress to choose between the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party to shape up the next government.
The Congress has so far not ruled out or ruled in any option of joining hands with either Peoples Democratic Party or the National Conference. Sources told Early Times late this evening that the core group of the Congress had a meeting at party President Sonia Gandhi’s residence in New Delhi to make an assessment and discuss election results. “Option of supporting both parties was on the table and a final decision may be taken after meeting the leaders of NC and PDP”, said the Congress sources.
Emerging single largest party after results, the National Conference said that it will approach the Congress for alliance. “The mandate is in our favour, we are the largest party and will approach the Congress for an alliance”, said National Conference patron Dr Farooq Abdullah in Srinagar this evening. Party President Omar Abdullah too echoed the same statement and said that NC being the largest party should be supported to lead the government.
Peoples Democratic Party is, however, playing it cool. PDP President Mehbooba Mufti said that the immediate issue before the party was not about forming government but respecting the peoples’ verdict. She, however, hastened to add, “Kashmir is not like any other state in India where numbers matter…it is about policies and political programmes which should go well with the people”. Mehbooba pointed to the huge voter turnout and said that it was the result of PDP’s healing touch policy which should be allowed to continue.
She said the PDP is open to an alliance with any other party that agrees to have a Common Minimum Programme chalked out like in 2002 or otherwise it would prefer to sit in the opposition benches. "Whether we agree on or not is the most important thing to us. Power comes secondary," she said.
Hailing the 2002 CMP that it had with the Congress, she said, "In 2002, we sat together and we had a CMP, where the healing touch policy became the lead. It was even appreciated by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. We brought out a turn in the whole situation."
Sources said that a meeting of top Congress leaders was convened by party president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi this evening to deliberate on the outcome of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.
Chavan, who is the party general secretary in-charge of the border state, told media persons that a team of Congress observers would go to the state on Monday to know the views of party legislators on whom to support in the government formation exercise.
Congress sources said the election results clearly indicate that National Conference will be in a position to form the government with support of Congress and from some independents. Congress had contested in 79 out of the 87 assembly seats and had supported eight independents, two of whom won. |
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