Farooq asks PDP-BJP to resolve differences or seek fresh polls

National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah today called for dissolution of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and holding of fresh elections if PDP and BJP fail to form a government, after he retracted his yesterday's statement that his party would think over if a proposal to form the government comes from the saffron party.
"If they (PDP and BJP) cannot solve the problems of the people, the assembly must be dissolved and hold fresh elections held," Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a private function.
Asked to comment on his yesterday's statement that his party's "doors were open" if BJP the leadership approached him to form the government in the state, he said, he had never said his party was going with the BJP.

"I had never said that we are going with BJP, it has to be made clear. I only said that PDP should form the government with the BJP as they have the mandate. I only said that our party can discuss on anything in our working committee," the former J-K Chief Minister said.
Asserting that NC has only 15 MLAs in the Assembly and it cannot form the government with them, he said "We cannot take a decision as we don't have the mandate, we are only 14-15 people, and 14-15 people cannot form the government. I am not the one to take the decision, it is the party high command to take the decision."

He advised the coalition partners BJP and PDP to iron out their differences and form the government without any delay as continued uncertainty was not good for the border state.
"Delay is a bad thing, for this state. Delay is a bad thing... It is a border state (that is) going through a difficult stage. They (PDP and BJP) have the mandate and they must sit down and solve the problems of the people, that is why they were elected. And if they cannot solve the problems of the people they must dissolve the Assembly and hold a new election," he said.

With uncertainty looming large over the PDP-BJP alliance, Abdullah had yesterday said his party was ready to consider a tie-up with the saffron party for government formation if such an offer was received.