The Hindu : Cong. not trying to break PDP, says Azad

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 19, 2002

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Cong. not trying to break PDP, says Azad

By Anita Joshua

NEW DELHI OCT. 18. Yet to muster the magic number of 44 required to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir, but with more time on its hands following the imposition of Governor's rule in the State, the Congress today decided to continue efforts to "consolidate and unite'' all MLAs who fought the elections to defeat the National Conference.

This decision was taken tonight after the J&K Pradesh Congress Committee president, Ghulam Nabi Azad, briefed the party president, Sonia Gandhi.

Though Mr. Azad refused to comment on how the party hoped to break the stalemate — given that both the Congress and the People's Democratic Party (PDP), led by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed are insisting on leading the coalition — he struck a confident note. Mr. Azad said the Congress would like to form a government at the earliest, hopefully, within a week. He denied that the Congress was trying to break the PDP, but was non-committal when asked on whether MLAs of that party had offered to join the Congress. Talking to mediapersons at his residence prior to his meeting with Ms. Gandhi, he said, "This is a path we have not chosen, and we are not encouraging any division in the PDP. We want the PDP along with Mufti Sahib.''

As for any feelers from National Conference MLAs, Mr. Azad said there was no question of taking them aboard or even having any kind of understanding with that party as the mandate was totally against the Farooq Abdullah regime.

The other option doing the rounds in Congress circles is to form a minority government and test the strength on the floor of the House. However, Mr. Azad said other avenues would be explored only after the first option of building a broad coalition was exhausted. Meanwhile, Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, CPI (M) leader and president of the People's Democratic Forum, also arrived here today and was scheduled to meet Ms. Gandhi.

About the Congress insistence on leading the coalition, which the Mufti has been quoted as saying is the bone of contention between the two parties, Mr. Azad said his party was in a better position to address the problems of the State by virtue of its being a national party.

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