PDP, BJP leaders try to iron out differences

Ram Madhav meets Haseeb Drabu, discusses ways to deal with growing unrest in the Valley

Amid fresh sticky issues between the alliance partners, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), senior leaders from the ruling parties met in Jammu on Friday “to iron out differences and find out ways to deal with growing unrest.”

BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav, the chief architect of the coalition, met senior PDP leader and Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu at the BJP headquarters in Jammu.

MLC seat

Sources said Mr. Drabu raised the issue of the PDP losing an MLC seat to the BJP despite the seat sharing arrangement.

Of six MLC seats, the BJP has won three seats, while the PDP, the National Conference and the Congress got one each. According to the seat-sharing arrangement, the alliance partners were to get two seats each. PDP MLC Yasir Reshi has boycotted the oath-taking ceremony at the council chairman’s office on Thursday to express the party’s anger.

Sources said Mr. Madhav, who also met Governor N.N. Vohra, took stock of growing unrest in the Kashmir Valley. Both the ruling parties “weighed options to find a way out.”

“We discussed J&K situation,” said BJP vice-president Avinash Rai Khanna.

The ties between the two parties — which got together in a rare coalition in 2015 — seem to be under strain.

Earlier, the PDP took potshots at Mr. Madhav for his remarks ‘all is fair in love and war’ in an interview, while referring to the video controversy wherein a civilian was tied to the jeep front.

“The statement is a move to legitimise a crime that is internationally criticised. One fails to understand against whom Mr. Madhav has declared war,” said PDP leader Bukhari.

He said his party had decided in favour of an alliance with the BJP “to take forward the peace process started in 2002.” “Kashmir is a political problem. Only dialogue with all stakeholders will resolve the issue,” added Mr. Bukhari.

Withdraws remarks

Meanwhile, BJP leader and State Industries Minister Chandar Prakash Ganga on Friday withdrew his remarks “only bullets for protesters,” saying “his statement was misinterpreted.”

Appeal to Omar

Independent MLA Engineer Rasheed on Friday urged National Conference working president Omar Abdullah “to offer yet again his unconditional support to [PDP chief] Mehbooba Mufti.”

“Weakening of Ms. Mufti by the BJP only means dividing Kashmiris and threatening them. It’s high time Mr. Abdullah woke up and offered his support again to Mehbooba for formation of a government so that the nefarious designs of Sangh Parivar are defeated,” he said.