J&K governor wants decision on government formation

Jammu and Kashmir governor N N Vohra has called PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and state Bharatiya Janata Party chief Sat Pal Sharma for a meeting on Tuesday where he will insist that they clarify their stand on the formation of a government in the state.

"Yes, governor has called her (Mehbooba Mufti) for a meeting tomorrow," PDP spokesman Naeem Akhter told PTI today.

Mehbooba is scheduled to meet the governor on Tuesday afternoon which will be followed by a meeting between Vohra and the BJP state president.

"Yes. We are going to meet the governor tomorrow in the evening," Sharma said.

Uncertainty grew over government formation on Sunday with a tough-talking PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti saying she will take a call after "reassessing" whether ally BJP's government at the Centre would take substantive steps in a "set timeframe" to address the "core" political and economic issues of the state.

Meanwhile, the core group of the state BJP met today to discuss the political situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting held in Gandhi Nagar area saw participation of core group members, including former deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh, former ministers, MPs and BJP state president, BJP sources said.

After a four-hour meeting with party leaders on Sunday, Mehbooba had said the PDP will take a call on government formation as and when it is confident that Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's vision and mission will be carried forward and implemented in letter and spirit.

Mehbooba, who has already been authorised by the party to take a decision on government formation, also told the meeting that she is "ready to take a call on it once she is convinced that the purpose and the objective of the alliance that Mufti had forged with Prime Minister Narendra Modi" would be taken to its logical conclusion.

National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah, meanwhile, said the BJP and PDP could go ahead with formation of government in Jammu and Kashmir as they have requisite numbers as well as a "common programme".