In a new political twist in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference on Tuesday formally offered support to the People’s Democratic Party in a letter to Governor N N Vohra for forming a government that could break the logjam of over three weeks.
"@JKNC_has written to Governor Vohra Sahib reiterating our offer of support to @jkpdp and asking him to call us before deciding the assembly viability," National Conference's Working president Omar Abdullah tweeted.
In a statement, the party said Abdullah urged Vohra to consult the party leadership before taking any final decision regarding the future of the present assembly and its viability in the formation of the government.
The letter was delivered to Vohra by Provincial President Jammu Devender Singh Rana in Jammu this afternoon as a consequence of the meeting of NC Core Group in Srinagar on Monday.
In the letter, Abdullah said that NC has offered to support to the PDP, which has emerged as the single largest party in the just-concluded Assembly elections, a party release said.
"However, the political impasse in the state, due to indecisiveness of the PDP has led to the imposition of the Governor’s rule and placing of the state assembly in suspended animation despite an overwhelming participation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the electoral process", the letter said.
A PDP spokesman said the party will take note of the latest development in an appropriate forum. "We will discuss this development in an appropriate party forum and respond after the deliberations," PDP chief spokesman Naeem Akhtar told PTI.
On the PDP's talks with the Bharatiya Janata Party on government formation, Akhtar said back channel contacts were in progress. The assembly polls, whose results were declared on December 23 last, threw up a fractured mandate. 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.
With inputs from Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar