Mehbooba Mufti-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP), along with Congress and National Conference (NC) stakes claim to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.
PDP, which has 29 MLAs, has written to Governor SP Malik claiming support of 15 MLAs of NC, 12 of Congress in the 87-member state assembly.
“You might have gathered from the media reports that the Congress and the National Conference have also decided to extend support to our party to form a government in the state. The National Conference has a strength of 15 MLAs and the Congress 12. That takes our collective strength to 56. Since I am presently in Srinagar, it would not be possible for me to call on you immediately and this is to keep you informed that we would be seeking your convenience shortly to stake the claim for forming the government in the state,” Mehbooba said in her letter to the Governor.
Earlier, businessman-turned-PDP leader Altaf Bukhari said in Srinagar that all the three parties have decided to form a coalition government in the valley state.
“The leaders have agreed to form an alliance. The PDP, NC, Congress at the leadership level have agreed. What are the contours of the alliance, it has not come down to MLAs? I am an MLA and I have been told only this much,” Bukhari said.
Bukhari, who met National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah earlier in the day, said he did not discuss the alliance issue with the former chief minister.
“We keep on meeting. I had no talks about the alliance but generally we all meet,” he said.
Bukhari, who is tipped to lead the alliance if it comes to fruition, denied that he had called a meeting of PDP MLAs in connection with government formation.
Asked if he was in the running for the chief minister’s post, Bukhari said, “There is no such thing. The chief minister will be from among the leaders. This issue is not about chief ministership”.
“This alliance is being formed to address the Kashmir issue, the situation in Kashmir and to protect the special identity of the state that we have in the Constitution of India.
“As elected representatives, we have to respond to the aspirations of the people and the emerging situation. Article 370 and Article 35-A are under attack. This alliance is not being formed for being in power,” he added.
To a query on when would the alliance be announced formally, he said, “It should be made very soon. Nothing has been planned for today in view of Eid Milad-un-Nabi celebrations”.