*All issues have been sorted out: Madhav
Neeraj Rohmetra
JAMMU, Apr 1: The PDP and BJP today submitted a joint letter to Governor NN Vohra for forming next Government in the State on April 4 and wanted oath ceremony to be held at 11 am at Raj Bhawan for the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministry even as Mehbooba Mufti, who is set to become 13th Chief Minister of the State, is reaching here on April 3, a day ahead of the oath ceremony.
In a related development, the PDP has decided to restructure the organization and took resignations of all State office bearers to facilitate the revamp amidst reports that Mehbooba might quit as the PDP president before or after taking oath of the Chief Minister on April 4.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the PDP and BJP has sent joint communiqué to the Governor today seeking oath of office and secrecy for the Chief Minister and the Ministers at 11 am on April 4 at Raj Bhawan lawns.
“The Governor has accepted the request of the two Alliance partners and asked them to submit list of the Ministers of the two parties, who will be taking oath along with the Chief Minister,” they said.
They added that a broad agreement has been reached between PDP and BJP on formation of the Government including number of the Ministers, who will be taking oath along with Mehbooba Mufti, who would be sworn-in as 13th Chief Minister and first woman CM of Jammu and Kashmir.
While the PDP was almost certain to repeat its all 13 Ministers, who were part of previous PDP-BJP Government headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the BJP was also likely to repeat most of the previous faces in the Council of Ministry.
PDP had 13 (10 Cabinet plus three Ministers of State) and BJP 11 (8 Cabinet Ministers and three Ministers of State) in the Mufti Sayeed headed Government. The State can have maximum of 25 Ministers including the Chief Minister as per the Constitutional provisions.
Mehbooba Mufti will reach here on April 3, a day ahead of the oath ceremony, and hold discussions with her party leaders and BJP veteran Dr Nirmal Singh, who will be the Deputy Chief Minister again, on composition of the Ministry and distribution of portfolios.
Mehbooba would also deliberate on re-structuring of the party after obtaining resignations from the office bearers.
BJP general secretary, Ram Madhav, who is party’s pointman on formation of J&K Government, reached here this afternoon and presided over high level meeting of the party at Dr Nirmal Singh’s residence. Top party leaders attended the meeting.
Before flying back to New Delhi tonight, Madhav told reporters that all issues between the two parties (PDP and BJP) have been sorted out during past three days long discussions between the leaders of two parties.
“It was good that Mehbooba Mufti is going to take over as first woman Chief Minister of the State,” Madhav said.
Replying to a question on whether distribution of portfolios between the two parties has been sorted out, he said: “every issue has been looked into”.
Madhav said the PDP and BJP have submitted letter to the Governor on formation of new Government in the State.
“Clean Government, good Government, development-oriented Government is our priority,” Madhav said.
Meanwhile, BJP State Executive is meeting for two days here from tomorrow to discuss political situation in the State including formation of the Government, revamp of the party and related issues.
The Executive meeting will be held at Eden Gardens.
Meanwhile, Union MoS in PMO Dr Jitendra Singh will reach here on April 3 to attend BJP State Executive meeting. He will also attend oath ceremony of new PDP-BJP Government on April 4.
Meanwhile, nearly three months after the demise of its founder and patron Mufti Sayeed, PDP is poised for restructuring, for which the office bearers resigned from their posts today, ahead of the party forming the Government in the State. The office bearers resigned to pave the way for restructuring of the party.
“The office bearers of Peoples’s Democratic Party — general secretaries Nizamudin Bhat, Rafi Ahmad Mir, Ved Mahajan, Mehboob Iqbal and political advisor to party president Peerzada Mansoor Hussain have resigned and relinquished their offices with immediate effect,” a PDP spokesman said.
“All the leaders have expressed full faith in the leadership of Mehbooba Mufti and have pledged support in the interest of party and people of the State,” he added.
The party is being restructured nearly three months after the sudden demise of Mufti Sayeed, who had founded it in 1999 and was its patron when he passed away.
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