BJP holds 'veto power' in Jammu and Kashmir, claims Jaitley

December 26, 2014

Jammu, Dec 26: Even as the picture is not yet clear over which way the parties would align to form the new government in Jammu and Kashmir, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday struck a confident note saying, that the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) will play a pivotal role in the government formation and that the party held a 'veto power' in the state.

“Whoever forms the government, the BJP must have a crucial role. Earlier, the veto power was in the hands of the Congress and now it’s in the hands of the BJP,” Jaitley told a press conference.

Jaitley, who was deputed as central observer along with BJP national secretary Arun Singh, flew in here this morning and met MLAs separately as well as collectively.

Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the newly-elected MLAs, the BJP's central observer said that a number of options are open to forming government in J&K.

Explaining the highest popular mandate for the party, Jaitley said BJP won 25 out of the 76 seats it contested where as the other major parties contested all the 87 seats.

"Our votes is higher than those who have contested all the seats. Our strike rate is high. We have the highest popular vote. We have an overwhelming mandate in the Jammu region while the Valley has been divided between PDP (25 seats), National Conference (15) and Independents (5)."

Jaitley's press conference came hours after the BJP denied reports that its leadership had held discussions with National Conference (NC) on government formation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Scotching speculation that it may support BJP in forming a new Government in Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference(NC) too, ruled out such a possibility citing fundamental differences between the two parties.

Omar Abdullah clarified on Thursday that there was no discussion going on between the two parties.

Omar posted on the micro-blogging site Twitter: “So many stories doing the rounds about a BJP-NC deal. Let me say this as strongly as possible – There is no deal nor any discussion going on.”

There were persistent reports that the outgoing Chief Minister and NC working President Omar Abdullah met BJP President Amit Shah in New Delhi last night but BJP denied that.

Amid media reports that the outgoing chief minister Omar Abdullah had met BJP president Amit Shah in New Delhi last night, party general secretary Ram Madhav tweeted, "News about BJP leaders meeting NC leadership in Delhi baseless".

Meanwhile, PDP, which has remained silent since the polls results came three days ago, had started exploring the possibility of a coalition government with Congress which has 12 members and other independent candidates.

BJP, on its part, also started approaching PDP with Madhav meeting People's Conference leader Sajad Lone at a hotel in Kashmir and PDP leader and MP Muzzafar Hussain Baig at his residence.

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Atishi to be Delhi CM as Kejriwal proposes her name at AAP meet, gets MLAs’ support

News Network

September 17,2024

New Delhi, Sept 17: Atishi will be the new Chief Minister of Delhi. The decision came after a legislative party meeting was chaired by Arvind Kejriwal at his Delhi residence earlier today.

Kejriwal is expected to tender his resignation later today, and will also meet Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena at 4.30 pm.

On September 13, Arvind Kejriwal was released from Tihar Jail, where he had been lodged for his alleged involvement in the Delhi liquor policy case. Nearly two days after his release, on Sunday, Kejriwal said he would resign as the Chief Minister within 48 hours.

He also sought early polls in Delhi, and vowed not to sit in the chief minister’s chair until people gave him a “certificate of honesty”.

On Monday, the AAP held a series of meetings as Kejriwal sought feedback from members of the political affairs committee, the party’s highest decision-making body, on his successor in one-on-one meetings at his official residence.

Names of Delhi ministers Atishi, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot and Saurabh Bharadwaj were making the rounds as contenders, news agency PTI had quoted party insiders as saying and added that Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal and Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel were also the probables.

Mangolpuri MLA Rakhi Birla, who is also the deputy speaker in the assembly, and Kondli legislator Kuldeep Kumar were also potential candidates, they added.

Earlier, sources with the AAP had told PTI that the surprise candidate could also be a member of the minority community as the party has witnessed its support among the community wavering since the 2020 Delhi riots.

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