J&K government formation: Congress offers support to PDP

NEW DELHI: Congress today offered support to PDP in government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, saying its erstwhile ally has the "legal, moral and Constitutional' right to do so.

The party also took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wondering whether he will enter into alliance with "Baap-Beti or Baap Beta (father-daughter or father-son)", a reference to PDP's Mufti Sayeed-Mehbooba Mufti and NC's Farooq Abdullah-Omar Abdullah whom he chose as targets of attack during election campaigning.

"PDP has the legal, moral and Constitutional right to form a government (in Jammu and Kashmir). We are prepared to support them if they are ready to form the government," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters here.

His statement came as questions prevailed as to which parties will come together to form a government in the state where the recent Assembly polls have thrown up a fractured verdict.

PDP, with 28 seats, has emerged as the single largest party in the 87-member house. Congress has bagged 12 seats and the minimum number required for forming government is 44.

PDP and Congress ran a coalition government for nearly six years from 2002 before they had a bitter break-up. The term of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly is six years.

Singhvi took a dig at Modi and BJP asking "with whom are you going to align between the two - the party of father-son or the party of father-daughter as you had condemned both of them during the election campaign".

The thinking in Congress is that PDP and BJP cannot come together as it cannot last long due to contradictions between the idelogical positions between the parties.

There is also a view in Congress that BJP and NC could find it much easier to come together rather than BJP and PDP.

However, a Congress leader said the fact that Abdullah has committed himself much more to Congress and has a personal rapport with Rahul Gandhi, it may prevent such an eventuality.