Won’t need BJP support to form govt: PDP

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 21

The Peoples Democratic Party claims that it will not need the BJP for the government formation even though almost all exit polls have predicted that the PDP will emerge as a single largest party but will fall short of a majority.

The pollsters have predicted that the BJP is likely to emerge as the second largest party with 27 to 33 seats.

“We will not require the BJP for the government formation, but will require them in running the government,” said chief spokesman of the PDP Naeem Akthar.

Akthar, however, said that the exit polls were only a trend and the party was hopeful of winning 44 of the 87 seats in the J&K Assembly.

A top PDP leader who is also a member of the party’s highest decision-making body — Political Affairs Committee — said the party would never have any tie-up with the BJP.

“First of all, we are sure of getting a majority on our own. And in no case, we are going to have a coalition with the BJP. But as the BJP is in the Centre, we will be having a working relationship with them for the welfare of our state,” said the senior leader. “In 2002 when we had formed a government with the Congress, the BJP was in power in the Centre but we had initiated various steps that helped not only the state but the two neighbouring countries,” he added

The exit polls carried out by various national news channels have predicted that no single party in the state will get a clear majority.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said: “…I’ll wait for the only exit poll that really matters — the one on December 23,” Omar tweeted after the voting concluded for the final phase of polls on Saturday. The exit polls have indicated that the National Conference has not done well.

The national spokesman of the Congress and the party candidate from Baramulla Salman Soz said the exit polls had “zero credibility”. “Any pollster who shows the INC getting four seats in J&K has zero credibility. Even a child can do better than that. At least apply common sense!” Salman tweeted.