National Conference rules out support to BJP, ready to back PDP

With political stalemate continuing in Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference's working president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday held a meeting with top party leaders where it was decided that it will have no tie-up with the Bharatiya Janata Party but was ready to support the Peoples Democratic Party in the government-formation.

The NC's core group discussed the political situation, three days after governor's rule was imposed in the state as Abdullah resigned as caretaker chief minister and no political party or combination was in a position to form the government.

"We are not going to join hands with the BJP at any cost," senior NC leader Mohammad Akbar Lone said while briefing reporters on the Core Group meeting. This assumes significance as BJP leaders have been in touch with the NC leadership.

At the same time, Lone said NC was ready to join hands with the PDP if the latter talks about the welfare of the people of the state.

"If the PDP talks about taking care of aspirations of all the three regions (Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh), then as a regional party, as a primary party, we need to join hands with such people who work for the unity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and we are ready to help them," the NC leader said.

The assembly polls, whose results were declared on December 23 last, threw up a fractured mandate. The PDP emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats in the 87-member House. The BJP bagged 25 seats, the NC 15 and the Congress 12.   

The PDP and BJP have been in talks but failed to reach any agreement even three weeks after the results came, following which the governor's rule was imposed in the state.

Party spokesman Junaid Mattu said the core group discussed various aspects of the current political situation.

Image: Former J&K CM Omar Abdullah