No pre-poll alliance, BJP will form govt with ‘some friends’: Madhav

Former BJP ministers, MLAs favour simultaneous elections

ARVIND SHARMA

JAMMU: Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) national general secretary and chief architect of erstwhile BJP-PDP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir, Ram Madhav, today ruled out possibility of any pre-poll alliance for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state but maintained that BJP will form a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir by aligning with some parties after the elections.

He said that last time also, BJP formed a coalition government in the state by aligning with some parties after the elections, and this time also, BJP will form a coalition government by entering into an alliance with some parties after the elections.

“We will have no pre-poll alliance in the Assembly elections and contest all the seats in the state on our own,” Ram Madhav said while addressing media persons here today at party headquarter, Trikuta Nagar, Jammu.

He said, “The BJP will emerge as the single largest party in the elections and will form a coalition government by aligning with some parties after the elections”.

“Due to special circumstances in Jammu and Kashmir, we have no hesitation in joining hands with others to form the government,” Madhav said.

He also ruled out speculations that BJP is not in favor of holding Assembly elections in the state along with Parliamentary elections and said that BJP is ready for both Parliamentary and Assembly elections as and when the Election Commission of India (ECI) decides.

“BJP is ready for both Assembly and Parliamentary elections in the state and it is upto the ECI to take a call as to when to hold the elections,” he said.

“It is up to the Election Commission to decide whether the two polls are held together or separately,” Madhav said.

He said that some other parties want the polls to be deferred as they fear the defeat.

Tallking about rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits (KPs), the BJP national general secretary said the BJP has prepared a roadmap for KPs return and rehabilitation but the situation is not conducive for their return.

“The roadmap for return of KPs will be implemented only when the situation in the Valley turns conducive,” he said.

“We had identified land at five places in the Valley for pandit township but due to various reasons, it could not materialize, the biggest being the prevailing security situation in the valley,” he said.

The BJP leader said the party was bound by its promise to Kashmiri Pandits and when the situation improves, it will take the community's leadership into confidence and move forward.

Asked about the problems being faced by West Pakistan refugees in getting the benefits of a rehabilitation package announced by the Centre, Madhav said every attempt will be made to address any difficulty faced by the community.

"We will ensure that the refugees get relief and will look into the procedure to make it easy for them as we did in the case of displaced people from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir," he said.

Asked about the PDP expelling former PDP minister Altaf Bukhari, Madhav said, “I don't want to talk about internal matters of another political party, but I must underscore here that he is the one who was projected as the Chief Minister jointly by PDP, Congress and National Conference when they were trying to form the government in the state some time back.”

He also talked about Prime Minister Narender Modi’s February visit to the state and said that he will inaugurate several development projects and will also address a massive public rally at Vijaipur, where AIIMS will also be inaugurated by the PM.

“Modi will lay the foundation stone for and inaugurate projects worth Rs 35,000 crore and Rs 9,000 crore in Jammu and Kashmir, respectively, during his visit,” he said.

He also appreciated the efforts of former BJP ministers in implementing development programmes.
Madhav also informed that Modi will visit all the 3 regions of the state.

Later, he also visited the site at Vijaipur, where Modi will address the rally.

Earlier, Ram Madhav also held a closed door meeting with party’s former ministers and MLAs to discuss the upcoming elections besides the prevailing political situation in the state.

“He sought opinion of the party’s former MLAs and former ministers as to whether Lok Sabha and Assembly elections should be held together or not,” former Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta told The News Now.

“In the meeting, the former MLAs and the ministers were of the view that both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections should be held together,” Kavinder informed.

Madhav also discussed the preparations of the party for the upcoming elections in the meeting with the former ministers and the MLAs and asked them to activate the workers and the leaders, Kavinder said.

He asked them to chalk out programme to reach out ot people and make them aware about government’s achievements.

Madhav also discussed the preparations for the PM’s rally and asked the former ministers and MLAs to ensure mass participation of the people, sources said.

“Assign duties to leaders and workers to ensure that the rally becomes successful,” he asked the former ministers and MLAs.

Madhav also discussed the prevailing political situation in the state with the former ministers.