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Finally, A PDP-BJP Government In Jammu And Kashmir?

Finally, A PDP-BJP Government In Jammu And Kashmir?
An Indian paramilitary soldier stands guard outside a polling station during the fifth phase of voting, at Satrayan village near the India-Pakistan international border, about 32 kilometers from Jammu, India, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014. The fifth and last stage of polling is being held in Jammu and Kashmir state and Jharkhand. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)
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An Indian paramilitary soldier stands guard outside a polling station during the fifth phase of voting, at Satrayan village near the India-Pakistan international border, about 32 kilometers from Jammu, India, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014. The fifth and last stage of polling is being held in Jammu and Kashmir state and Jharkhand. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)

PDP and BJP gave hints that they could soon announce the formation of a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir as senior leaders of the two parties held a meeting here.

"Now, I think we might not have to wait for long," PDP spokesman Nayeem Akhtar said here when asked about the update on government formation efforts.

"I think the structured dialogue is not very far now. We look forward to it," he added.

In the polls to the 87-member Assembly, whose results came on December 23 last, PDP emerged as the single-largest party with 28 seats while BJP came second with 25 seats. The state is currently under Governor's Rule.

When asked by when the state can have a popular government, BJP leader and Union Minister Jitendra Singh told reporters, "party leadership is discussing all the issues and the time will tell."

He said BJP strongly believes in democratic process and "we don't rush into things. Let the process take its time."

When asked to comment on delay in the formation of the government in the state, he said, "The leaders of the party at an appropriate level are discussing and debating the issue. The leaders who have been given the responsibility are qualified to speak on the issue."

He was speaking after a two-hour-long meeting of senior leaders of the two parties here. "We met here today to discuss on several organizational issues, there was no discussion over the issue of government formation here. We discussed about the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections (on February 7) and how to win our two seats," Singh said.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.