PDP's 'adamancy' responsible for uncertainty in J&K: BJP

JAMMU: BJP today attributed the continued uncertainty over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir to "adamancy" of ally PDP while asserting that it is committed to the common minimum programme of the coalition.

BJP is sticking to the "Agenda of Alliance" but "adamancy is from PDP", state party unit's general secretary (Organisation) Ashok Koul told PTI here.

"From our side there is positivity and we feel the same from other side. There is no uncertainty from BJP side," he said.

His comments came just hours ahead of the party leaders' meeting with Governor N N Vohra who had asked the coalition partners BJP and PDP to clarify their stand on government formation.

The core group of the state BJP will meet here before the meeting with the Governor this evening.

The core group met yesterday also after which BJP's three-member panel rushed to New Delhi and held consultations with central leadership on the government formation after tough talk by PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on carrying forward the alliance.

The political crisis in Jammu and Kashmir arose after the demise of then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed January 7.

Sayeed's daughter and PDP Chief Mehbooba said on Sunday that before taking a call on continuing the alliance, she wants to "reassess" whether the Narendra Modi government would take substantive steps within a 'set time-frame' to address the "core" political and economic issues of the state.

After Core group meeting yesterday in Jammu, State BJP chief Sat Sharma told reporters that there was "no concrete" demand or condition from PDP in writing.

The Governor has written to leaders of the two parties asking them to clarify their stand on government formation by today.

PDP, with 27 MLAs in the 87-member Assembly and BJP with 25 legislators, ran a coalition government headed by Mufti Sayeed for 10 months before his demise on January 7.