J&K: Omar's party could emerge kingmaker

The National Conference, led by Omar Abdullah, won 15 seats in the Assembly polls

Although both the key players in Jammu and Kashmir, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), conveyed on Wednesday that they were keen to form the next government in the state, the contour of the political alignment is not clear.

A government without either isn't possible in the 87-member Assembly. The PDP won 28 seats, while the BJP bagged 25 in a result showing how the state voted on religious lines. BJP swept predominantly Hindu-dominated Jammu and the PDP won its seats in Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley. This has caused enough apprehension in both PDP and BJP against forming a coalition government.

The Omar Abdullah-led National Conference (NC) with 15 seats seemed to be emerging kingmaker with two independents it had backed. Abdullah on Wednesday resigned as the chief minister. He didn't rule out supporting either a PDP or BJP government but indicated leaders of these two parties will have to approach him. "I am not going to visit Mufti's residence (offering support). Amit Shah has not called," he said. The National Conference was part of the Atal Behari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance government.

Abdullah gave similar hints with his tweets when he said, "Incidentally, in 2002, Mufti (Mohammad Sayeed) became chief minister with 16 MLAs and NC with 28 (MLAs) sat in the opposition."

The BJP, which held its parliamentary board meeting on Wednesday, decided to send Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and party National Secretary Arun Kumar to Jammu to oversee the election of its legislative party leader and finalise the strategy for government formation. The BJP leadership continued to state that all options - forming a BJP government, supporting a government and participating in a government - are open before it.

Jugal Kishore Sharma, BJP Jammu unit chief, claimed that BJP had more numbers than the PDP. He said BJP had support of Independents and two MLAs of Lone-led JK People's Conference to have a tally of 31 MLAs. Sharma also claimed that the next CM will be from the BJP.

The Congress, with 12 MLAs, isn't averse to supporting a Mufti Mohammed Sayeed-led PDP government. But their numbers add up to 40, four short of the majority of 44. The support of Abdullah's National Conference is, therefore, essential for such a "secular" coalition government.

Apart from the four major parties, "others" have got seven seats and could play a key role in government formation.