Are the BJP and PDP contemplating an alliance once again in Jammu and Kashmir? National Conference vice president, Omar Abdullah, dropped a hint on September 2, suggesting that the two parties may be in talks through RSS leader and former party general secretary, Ram Madhav.
Abdullah, the former chief minister of the erstwhile state, pointed out that the PDP led by Mehbooba Mufti is the only party in the region with strong connections to Madhav.
He mentioned, “There is no doubt that if there is any party with good connections to Ram Madhav, it is the PDP. He orchestrated the 2015 BJP-PDP alliance and it seems he may be involved in a similar effort once again.”
Madhav, who has been appointed as the election in-charge for the upcoming Assembly polls, played a pivotal role in the previous BJP-PDP alliance back in 2015.
When quizzed about the possibility of a renewed BJP-PDP alliance, Omar responded, “Let them win the seats first.”
The ongoing elections are being conducted in three phases, with the first round scheduled for September 18, followed by the next two phases on September 25 and October 1. Results are set to be declared on October 4. The NC and PDP, both part of the opposition’s national alliance, INDIA bloc, are adversaries in Jammu and Kashmir.
In the 2014 Assembly polls, the PDP emerged as the largest party with 28 seats, all from the Kashmir valley, while the BJP secured 25 seats, all from Jammu.
The unprecedented alliance between the PDP, led by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed at the time, and the BJP fell apart in 2018 when the latter withdrew. Since then, Jammu and Kashmir have been under central rule.
It remains to be seen if the BJP and PDP will rekindle their alliance, but one thing is clear – the political landscape in Jammu and Kashmir is always full of surprises.
