Hung Assembly in J&K

The PDP, with 28 seats, has emerged as the single largest party. From one seat in 2002 and 11 in 2008, the BJP has taken its tally to 25 this time.

Srinagar: President of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti addressing a Press Conference after her party's win in assembly elections,at her residence in Srinagar on Tuesday. PTI Photo (PTI12_23_2014_000198B)

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), with 28 seats, has emerged as the single largest party in Jammu and Kashmir, but the hung Assembly formed by a four-cornered division of seats has made government-formation an uphill task.

The incumbent National Conference (NC) was beaten by anti-incumbency, but has survived to fight another battle by winning 15 seats — 13 less than its 2008 tally.

The BJP will explore the option of either leading a coalition government or becoming part of one, its president Amit Shah told a press conference at the party headquarters in the national capital on Tuesday.

PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti said her party’s performance fell short of expectations. It would deliberate on the options available to form a government, without losing credibility. “We are not in a hurry to cobble up the numbers.”

On the other hand, the Congress escaped complete decimation and managed to win 12 seats. The party, which has been part of the government in the State for nearly 12 years, was quick to offer an olive branch to the PDP with which it had forged an alliance from 2002 to 2008: it could decide if it wanted an alliance with the Congress to keep the BJP at bay.

Sajjad Lone’s People’s Conference, the only party which touted itself as an ally of the BJP in J&K, won two seats. Five Independent candidates also won. The outgoing Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, who lost from Sonawar constituency but managed to win from Beerwah by a slim margin of 905 votes, said: “This election was fought on religious lines [by the BJP].”

The BJP emerged as the biggest winner in this election. From one solitary seat in 2002 and 11 in 2008, it has taken its tally to 25 this time. In the Kashmir valley, the BJP lost all the 33 constituencies it contested from. Still, at 23 per cent, it has secured the highest vote share in the State, though its vote share in Kashmir valley is just over three per cent. The party fell about half way short of its much hyped goal of winning a simple majority on its own.

>No easy options for PDP, BJP “We are caught between the devil and the deep sea,” People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Nayeem Akhter said. “All the alliances that are available put one in a Catch-22 situation.” >Read More...

>A fragmented verdict The performance of the BJP, the People’s Democratic Party, the National Conference and the Congress shows that the contest was truly a four-cornered one, and was not just about a polarisation between two parties. >Read More...

Kashmir's fractured mandate >An alliance between the BJP and the PDP would be the coming together of two ideological opposites and could be a problem for both parties Read More...

>Mehbooba: Won't form govt by hook or crook “We will not cobble together a government by hook or crook. It will take time to explore possibilities and formation of government to meet the people’s expectations and good governance,” PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said. >Read More...

>Parties grapple with difficult choices Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called it a mess of a verdict. The single largest party, PDP, referred to it as a dampener. The BJP called it a victory. And the Congress put the onus of choosing a partner on the PDP. >Read More...