The Hindu : Six Independents with us, says Azad

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 12, 2002

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Six Independents with us, says Azad

By Shujaat Bukhari

The president of the People's Democratic Party, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, and his daughter (the vice-president of the party), Mehbooba Mufti, at their residence in Srinagar on Friday. — Photo: Nissar Ahmad

SRINAGAR OCT. 11. Hectic efforts are on to give a formal shape to government formation in Jammu and Kashmir after a fractured verdict in the just-concluded elections. The Congress and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) have emerged as the two potent parties to stake claim for a coalition government, though with the support of some Independents.

Even as the PDP was busy with the celebration of its splendid victory, the Congress swung into action with its State president, Ghulam Nabi Azad, claiming that six Independents had already supported his party and that the number might go up. "Our number goes up by six and by tomorrow, another 10 will join taking the strength to 36,'' Mr. Azad said in Jammu, adding "a lot more are coming from all the regions of Jammu''. Two Independents were present when he was addressing mediamen.

Sources said the Congress was doing its best to rope in the maximum number of Independents. Some of them are ideologically miles apart from the Congress. But at least six National Conference rebels are being persuaded to join the party. In Jammu, some of these candidates indicated their willingness to join the Congress, but those from the Kashmir Valley are yet to make their plans public.

The Independent candidates in Kashmir had formed a front — the People's Democratic Forum — just before the declaration of the poll results. The possibility of the Panther's Party supporting the Congress is not being ruled out. The CPI(M) has already indicated its support to the Congress, so has the lone BSP member.

Notwithstanding the fact that the Congress and the PDP had an unofficial understanding in the elections, both have started roping in as many as Independents as they could. However, the PDP chief, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, said his party was yet to take any decision on the formation of the next government. "Our legislature party will meet tomorrow and then we will discuss the issue'' he said. No contact had yet been established with the Independents.

In the 87-member Assembly, the National Conference has won 28 seats, followed by the Congress, which has won 20 seats. The PDP has 16 whereas the Panther's Party has four, the CPI (M) two and the BJP and the BSP one each.

In another development, the NC, which has emerged as the single largest party, has also started exploring the possibility of keeping the Congress-PDP at bay in the race for power. An unconfirmed report said that two senior leaders — Mohiuddin Shah and Ali Mohammad Sagar — have been assigned the job of persuading the Independents of whom a majority are NC rebels.

However, the NC president, Omar Abdullah, has made it clear that his party would not stake claim to form the government.

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