PDP to take call on Kashmir government formation

Srinagar, March 24: All eyes are on Thursday's crucial Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislature party meet that will be held over the government formation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Top PDP sources told IANS that the meeting will start at 4 p.m. at the Fairview residence of paryt chief Mehbooba Mufti.

"Mehbooba will apprise the legislators of her party about the developments including her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week," a PDP source said.

"The party will deliberate on its future course of action with regard to government formation in the state."

The PDP legislature party had authorised Mehbooba to take a call on the government formation in the state, but the party had not nominated her as the leader in the state legislature, a constitutional requirement before she can stake claim to power in the state.

Sources in the party said during its course of deliberation on Thursday, the PDP legislature party is likely to elect Mehooba as its leader.

This dispels media speculations that she had decided to allow some other confidante to be nominated as the legislature party leader so that she could continue as the party president and also as the member of the Lok Sabha.

Party insiders say it is highly unlikely that Mehbooba would stand down from her claim to chief ministership and allow somebody else to don the mantle because that could create infighting in the party.

"She is the undisputed leader of the party. Nobody else is. It has to be her," said a senior PDP leader and former minister here.

Mehbooba represents south Kashmir's Anantnag constituency in the Lok Sabha.

If she gets elected as the leader of the state legislature party, the way would be paved for her to become the first woman chief minister of India's only Muslim majority state.

In that case, she will have to get elected to either house of the state's bicameral legislature and also resign her Lok Sabha seat.

IANS