The Hindu : Deadline set for PDP, Cong.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 16, 2002

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Deadline set for PDP, Cong.

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR OCT. 15. The People's Democratic Forum (PDF) and the CPI (M) in Jammu and Kashmir have set a deadline of 11 a.m. tomorrow for the People's Democratic Party and the Congress to sort out the issue of Chief Ministership and come to an agreement on government formation.

They made it clear to the PDP chief, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, that if there was no agreement by that time they would support a Congress-led government.

The Congress is believed to have mustered the support of 41 MLAs and is said to be looking for possible defection either from the PDP or the National Conference. Sources said the party could stake its claim to form the government after 11 a.m. tomorrow and seek time from the Governor to prove its majority on the floor of the Assembly.

The last-ditch efforts by the leaders of the PDF (consisting of six independent MLAs) and the CPI-M (which has two MLAs) to bring about an accord between the Mufti and the Congress failed. Earlier in the day, the talks between PDP and the Congress ended in a deadlock.

With the tenure of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly expiring on tomorrow evening, desperate efforts are on to avert the imposition of Governor's rule.

The day started with hectic consultations and the Mufti said the issue of Chief Ministership was the basic one though there were some other grey areas of disagreement with the Congress leadership.

"We had four rounds of meeting with the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, and other leaders," he told a news conference. "The Congress has its own natural concerns but has to rise above partisan interests."

The people of Kashmir had given a verdict against the National Conference and were in favour of the PDP. "The PDP is a movement and we have certain commitments which we can fulfil only if we have the leading role in the government," Mr. Sayeed said, adding that only his party could fight the internal problems in Kashmir. "We do not want to dilute our stand and regional character.''

The PCC chief and CLP leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad, told presspersons late in the evening that last-ditch efforts were on to avert Governor's rule.

Governor consults experts

The Governor, G. C. Saxena, meanwhile, continued his efforts to break the impasse. He consulted a number of legal and constitutional experts. Ashok Bhan, Supreme Court lawyer and convener, Kashmir Committee, also met Mr. Saxena.

"If, by October 17, a new government is not in office it will be legally impermissible and politically improper for the Governor to ask the caretaker government to continue. So in the light of Section 92 of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution, he has to assume the charge of Government,'' he said adding that the newly-elected Assembly would be placed in suspended animation.

However, the Governor can exercise his discretion to invite the single-largest party, National Conference, to form the government. But the Supreme Court guideline in the Bommai case, which makes it mandatory for the party to assure the Governor that the government will not fall on the day of seeking the vote of confidence, has to be borne in mind.

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