The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Congress and the National Conference (NC) have reportedly decided to join hands and form a government in Jammu and Kashmir.
Altaf Bukhari of the PDP told ANI his party's leadership has confirmed that the three parties (Congress, PDP and NC) have agreed to make a coalition to "defend the special identity of the state politically and legally".
Bukhari, according to The Wire, had a meeting with former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah and then spoke to the media.
"This is a move to safeguard the special status of the state. Between 55 and 60 MLAs are with us," he was quoted as saying by The Wire.
The Wire also reported leaders from the three parties as saying that the alliance was a bid to impede the growing political influence of Sajjad Gani Lone, a former separatist who is now leader of the Jammu & Kashmir People's Conference. Lone and some dissenting MLAs from the PDP were trying to form a new alliance with the BJP to form government in the state.
Huffpost India had earlier reported that a theory had been floated by PDP loyalists that the BJP was working hard to prop up a third front in Kashmir with Lone its face.
Meanwhile, reports say that Bukhari is the frontrunner for the post of the chief minister. Sources told News18 that the three parties might meet the Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Thursday to stake claim.
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has also hinted at the alliance. "Our parties think that we should all unite together to form government," Azad was quoted as saying by India Today. He, however, said that the parties haven't reached a decision yet.
The PDP has 28 MLAs, the National Conference has 15 and Congress has 12 in the 87 member house.
The Jammu and Kashmir government collapsed on 19 June after the BJP decided to pull out of its alliance with the PDP.
BJP's vice president and general secretary, Ram Madhav, while announcing the decision, had said, "It has become untenable for the BJP to continue with the alliance government in Jammu and Kashmir."
In March 2015, the PDP and the BJP had come together for the first to form the government in J&K in March 2015, with PDP's founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as chief minister. He had called it the meeting of "North Pole and South Pole."