Srinagar/Ranchi

In a heavily-fractured verdict in Jammu and Kashmir, the PDP today emerged as the single largest party throwing many possibilities in government formation as the BJP was all set to form government in Jharkhad in coalition with ally AJSU.

With 28 seats, the PDP was in a pole position to form the government but the party appeared to be keeping all options open like the BJP which has won 25 seats, all in the Jammu region, recording its best performance in the state.

The BJP’s success in Jharkhand comes on top of its victory in Maharashtra and Haryana in the recent assembly elections after the stupendous victory in Lok Sabha polls.

However, the BJP, for whom Prime Minister Narendra Modi carried out an extensive ‘Mission 44+’ campaign in the 87 member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, failed to make any breakthrough in the Valley and Ladakh where it drew a blank in 50 seats.

However, the party had more than doubled its seats from 11 in 2008 to 25 now while the PDP went up from 21 to 28.

The ruling National Conference was routed when it secured only 19 seats against 28 it had won in the last elections.

Chief Minister and NC President Omar Abdullah lost from Sonawar seat but managed to cling on to Beerwah with a slander margin of 1000 votes.

Its partner in the government Congress slipped to the fouth position getting 12 seats against 17 it had. Jammu Kashmir People Conference headed by former separatist Sajjad Lone won two seats while JKPDF (secular) and CPIM won one seat each. Independents won in three seats.

As the picture became clear, BJP President Amit Shah said all three options were open for the party.

“The option of forming the government, the option of supporting a government and the option of participating in a government are all open,” Shah told reporters in Delhi.

To further questions, he said it is for the media to guess what the BJP would do. The party’s parliamentary board will meet tomorrow to discuss the situation.

In Srinagar, PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti also kept everyone guessing.

“Our priority will not be to cobble together a government by hook or crook. It will take time to explore possibilities and formation of government to meet the people’s expectations and good governance. It is difficult to say when it will materialise,” she told reporters.

Outgoing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also did not reveal his party’s plan except to claim that the National Conference cannot be ignored in the current situation. “The NC will be a serious player in whatever unveils in Jammu and Kashmir in the next few days,” he said. More PTI ABS VSC

J&K

Jammu and Kashmir was today heading for a hung Assembly with PDP emerging as the single largest party by bagging 25 seats and leading in 3 while BJP also made gains by winning 24 seats and was ahead on 1, all in Jammu, but it failed to make inroads in the Valley.

Outgoing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah won from Beerwah but lost in Sonawar while his National Conference, which was the single largest party in 2008 assembly polls with 28 seats, bagged 15 seats this time.

Congress, which was part of the ruling coalition led by Omar, won 11 seats and was ahead in one. It had won 17 seats in the last election.

Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather was among the prominent losers. Omar defeated Congress’ Nazir Ahmed in Beerwah but lost to PDP candidate Mohammad Ashraf Mir from Sonawar seat while Rather was defeated by opposition party’s Ghulam Nabi Lone from Charar-e-Sharief. This was Rather’s first defeat in assembly elections since 1977.

Among the prominent winners were People’s Democratic Party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed from Anantnag and former JK Bank chairman Haseeb Drabu from Pulawama as the party swept all four Assembly seats in Pulwama district.

Separatist turned mainstream politician Sajjad Gani Lone defeated National Conference minister Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan from Handwara.

Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand of Congress lost to BJP’s Krishan Lal from Chamb constituency by a margin of 14,790 votes.

Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami (CPIM) was trailing by 200 votes against PDP candidate Nazir Ahmad Laway from Kulgam constituency.

The lone woman minister in Omar Abdullah government, Sakina Itoo of National Conference, was trailing by over 4000 votes against PDP candidate Abdul Majid Padder.

BJP, which bagged 11 seats last time, has won 24 seats and was ahead in one.

Cobbling together govt to take time: Mehbooba

The PDP which has emerged as the single largest party in Jammu and Kashmir appeared to be keeping options open in forming the next government in the state.

“We will not cobble together a government by hook or crook. It will take time to explore possibilities and formation of government to meet the people’s expectations and good governance. It is difficult to say when it will materialise,” PDP President Mehbooba Mufti told reporters.

Refusing to disclose the strategy, she said her party would not cobble together numbers just for the sake of arithmetic.

“We will explore possibilities of forming government that will be credible. We are in the process of exploring possibilities and we will do what is in the best interest of people of Kashmir. We are looking for a government that is based on an agenda of good governance. Its going to take time,” she said.

The PDP has won 25 seats and is leading in three seats.

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