Almost two months after Jammu & Kashmir Assembly election results were declared, PDP and BJP finally sealed the alliance on Tuesday laying out their agenda for the political association of both the parties.
PDP patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and BJP president Amit Shah sealed the agreement to form a coalition government in Jammu & Kashmir by signing the document titled "PDP-BJP coalition government in J&K — Agenda of the Alliance" - a draft prepared by PDP's Haseeb Drabu and BJP's Ram Madhav, who held 15 meetings for two months.
The document pertains to PDP's demands ahead of forging alliance and BJP's reiteration on its stand on issues such as Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), Article 370 and others.
According to the 11-page document, PDP's agenda includes reconciliation with Pakistan through talks with "all stakeholders, including Hurriyat", withdrawal of AFSPA staring with denotification of Disturbed Areas Act in phases, continuation of Article 370 as it is, State Subject status for refugees from PoK, support for western Pakistan refugees and release of land occupied by Army and security forces, The Indian Express reported.
BJP, on the other hand, has stated in the document that the party has not made any sharp deviations on their stance on all the above issues as the draft has been prepared as "a framework for governance" and not a "common minimum programme".
"BJP has a view contrary to all other political parties on Kashmir and this document will help create a national consensus on J&K. It is not a minimalistic programme and that is why we don't call it CMP. It is a position to build a consensus on issues that impacts development and governance," the IE source said.
However, BJP has agreed on PDP's demand on the issue of Article 370, deciding not to make any changes in the current Special Status of the state.
The document also contained Hydro-power projects among the several issues. According to the Agenda of the Alliance, the J&K government will get back the hydropower projects Uri and Dulhasti and will also get a thermal power project, a coal block in Madhya Pradesh and a "special project" worth Rs 2,000 crore.
