The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reached a deal with the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to form the next government in the state. Sources in the BJP on Wednesday said the party is willing to concede to the PDP's demand that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed should remain the chief minister for the full six-year term.

Despite reservations within the BJP MLAs over playing second fiddle to the PDP, sources said that BJP leader Nirmal Singh may be nominated as the party's choice for the deputy chief ministership if the alliance between the two largest parties in the state is formalised.

On Tuesday, the BJP had rubbished reports of the PDP planning a Grand Alliance with the National Conference and the Congress, calling it a "betrayal with the people of Jammu and Kashmir" and claiming that only it can provide a stable government in the state.
 
 Meanwhile, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti met Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra on Wednesday to discuss the formation of the government in the state more than a week after Assembly election results threw a fractured verdict in the state even as her father and party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed continued consultations within the party.

The Assembly elections threw up a hung verdict with PDP emerging as the single-largest party with 28 seats in the 87-member lower house. BJP emerged as the second-largest party with 25 seats followed by National Conference at 15 and Congress with 12. Smaller parties and independents won seven seats.

So far no single party, or combination of parties, have staked a claim for formation of the government. The PDP is holding intra-party discussions on possible alliances which the party can enter into to form the next government. An elected government has to be put in place by January 19, failing which the Governor's rule will be imposed in the state.

Source: IT