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Is PDP facing a dilemma to form a government?

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When a candid outgoing chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah asked his arch rival, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to introspect, why their juggernaut stopped at just 28 seats, way short of a simple majority, he has a point.

Humbled to 15 seats from 28, Abdullah said he had given almost everything to the PDP on a platter to exploit politically, counting his follies as his role in 2010 street killings, execution of Afzal Guru and to sign off with the administrative paralysis during recent floods. “Mufti sahib definitely needs to introspect, why he couldn’t take advantage,” he said.

Abdullah’s National Conference (NC), had led in just three assembly segments in last Lok Sabha elections against the 41 by the PDP. The unexpected performance of the NC has now queered the pitch for 78-year old Mufti Mohd Sayeed, the patron of the PDP, to once again lead the state.

Even after coming so close to power, and keeping its options open, there is utter confusion within the PDP ranks. A strong view within the party and particularly form its younger leaders is to cobble up an alliance with the Congress, CPI (M) and independents to from another coalition government and also to keep the BJP out of power structure. But fairly senior leaders of the party, believe the the governments in Srinagar owes its life to the goodwill of central government. “In 2002, our coalition with the Congress had blessings of then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He (Vajpayee) even agreed with our political agenda of opening of routes with the PoK and establishing a kind of cooperative mechanism with Pakistan,” a senior PDP leader told dna.

Now with the BJP in reckoning  in Jammu and Kashmir on its own, sweeping the Hindu dominated Jammu region with 25 seats out of 37, PDP leaders fear they may not be able to sell their political agenda under Prime Minister Narendra  Modi government. Further, development priorities, need of additional funds to rehabilitate flood victims, reviving of economy and attending to unemployment, a Central support is call of hour, forcing them to keep option of tying with the BJP open.  But its pitfalls are that historically, whenever Jammu centric and Kashmir centric parties have tied up in the past, (Congress and NC), they have finished themselves politically.

Reports of the PDP hobnobbing with the BJP has already rattled the party, even less than 24-hours after results. Sources in the party said, some newly-elected MLAs  have conveyed to the party leadership to drop plans and threatened to resign. Their argument is that they got elected in the wake of  counter polarisation and point the fate of NC, which got relegated in its bastion of Kashmir Valley after tying up with the BJP in 1999.

“Our voters from the valley that will not accept our flirting with the saffron party from the way its people voted overwhelmingly with the high poll percentage with a vengeance to keep Narendra Modi's party out of the valley,” said a young leader, elected to the assembly from North Kashmir.

The past baggage of the Congress is also haunting the PDP. A senior PDP leader reminded dna, how Congress vice-president  Rahul Gandhi humiliated PDP after the 2008 Assembly elections to prop up his NC friend Omar Abdullah as the chief minister, much against the advice of then Prime Miniser Manmohan Singh. Accepting the PDP's hurt not yet remedied, the Congress on Tuesday indicated to support the government of PDP. Senior Congress leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad was quick to draw the scenario in Delhi when he said "the call has to be taken by PDP if they want to go with secular or communal forces and they know what's good for them."

Congress spokesman Dr Ajoy Kumar said the results show not only failure of the BJP's "Mission 44" in Jammu and Kashmir but its poll percentage also slipped by 15% in Jharkhand, indicating that Modi's popularity has started nosediving within six months of riding to power at the Centre. He said he cannot announce coalition or otherwise in the press conference as that has to be thrashed out by leaders of Congress and PDP sitting together and finalising common programme.

The PDP spokesman Naeem Akhtar also admitted it was verdict has made their situation precarious. While we have ideological differences with the BJP, the vote was also against Congress rule,” he said.

Although in the previous coalition, the PDP and the Congress did not get along with each other over several issues but this time the Congress may extend its support just to keep the BJP out of power in the state. The Congress has nothing to lose after its colossal defeat in the parliamentary elections and it can only benefit in such a situation. 

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