Mehbooba Mufti yet to convene legislature party meet

Given the present status, arithmetical calculations indicate the only possibility to form the future government in the state would be through continuation of the previous ruling alliance between the PDP and the BJP.

Mehbooba also went to the graveyard and offered prayers at her father’s grave.

“Nobody can even remotely suggest to her that she break her mourning and be sworn in (as the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister)”.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi with PDP president Mehbooba Mufti (right).

Ending uncertainty over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday confirmed that party chief Mehbooba Mufti would take over as the Chief Minister.

To claim power any single party or an alliance of parties should have 44 MLAs (Now 43 if Sayeed’s seat is excluded).

The PDP leader said no political issues would be discussed during the dinner. “There are no indications so far that would leadto break up of alliance between the two parties”, Singh said.

The Assembly elections were held later that year and National Conference and Congress formed a coalition government in January 2009, ending 178 days of Governor’s Rule.

Jammu and Kashmir is to come under Governor’s Rule though no notification has been issued yet, official sources said on Saturday.

“The party has said we want and we have written a letter to the Governor yesterday and told him that we will have a discussion on whatever decision the PDP takes”, he said. “We will be operating within the framework already formulated by the PDP under Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and BJP”, he said.

Madhav, who had called on the PDP leader last week at Srinagar, brushed aside the speculation over a souring of relations between the partners.

She said Sayeed used to see the administration as an interface between the elected representatives and the general public and always used to remind the officers to maintain highest standards of probity and integrity while discharging their duties.

If PDP and the Congress try to come together, they have a small numbers deficit.

Sonia Gandhi will visit Srinagar in the afternoon to pay homage to late Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and offer her condolences to Mehbooba Mufti. It’s true that she is in a state of mourning and it will take her some time to recover fully from this personal loss. “What the RSS could not achieve in the last six decades, it has achieved in the last six months”. We (BJP) are in favour of continuing that arrangement for the larger benefit of the state.