Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba to meet Governor N N Vohra tomorrow over govt formation

SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti will meet Governor N N Vohra over the issue of government formation in the state, even as her father and party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed continued consultations within the party.

The PDP leader today left for Jammu to hold discussion with the Governor.

"Mehbooba is scheduled to meet the Governor on his invitation tomorrow to discuss the situation, arising out of the split verdict in the recent elections," PDP's chief spokesperson Naeem Akhtar said in a statement here.

The Governor on Friday invited the PDP president and BJP state unit president Jugal Kishore Sharma for separate meetings to hold discussions on formation of government in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Assembly elections threw up a hung verdict with PDP emerging as the single-largest party with 28 seats in the 87-member lower house.

BJP emerged as the second-largest party with 25 seats followed by National Conference at 15 and Congress with 12.

Smaller parties and independents won seven seats. So far no single party, or combination of parties, have staked a claim for formation of the government.

PDP is holding intra-party discussions on possible alliances which the party can enter into to form the next government.

"Sayeed continued consultations with the party's rank and file," Akhtar said.

He said the PDP patron has been meeting party leaders, newly-elected legislators, senior workers and some of the members of the civil society in a bid to shape the party's response to the challenge thrown up by the fractured verdict.

An elected government has to be put in place by January 19, failing which the Governor's rule will be imposed in the state.