JAMMU, March 25 - Ending the over two-month deadlock, the PDP and the BJP are set to jointly call on Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra on Saturday and stake claim to form the new Government that will be headed by Mehbooba Mufti, who will be the first woman Chief Minister of the State.
A day after Mehbooba (56) was unanimously elected as the PDP�s legislature party leader and nominated as the party�s CM candidate, 25 members of the BJP met in the State�s winter capital here on Friday and elected Nirmal Singh as its leader.
Singh will again be the Deputy Chief Minister in the new Cabinet, a post he had held in the Mufti Mohammed Syeed�s dispensation.
Sources in the know of the developments said that both the PDP, which has 27 members in the 87-member Assembly and the BJP will seek time from the Governor for Saturday and stake their claim to form the Government.
Mehbooba will hand over a letter staking claim to form the Government, while Singh will hand over the letter from the BJP side supporting her claim, the sources said.
The Governor had summoned both the presidents of the PDP and the BJP separately for Friday for consultations on Government formation in the State.
The sources said that both the parties mutually decided to postpone Friday�s meeting and seek time for a meeting so that their two leaders can jointly call on the Governor and apprise him about the decision of the legislative parties of the PDP and the BJP.
Earlier in the day, the BJP�s interlocutor on Jammu and Kashmir, Ram Madhav said, �Legislative party of the BJP in Jammu has decided to support the PDP in the formation of the Government in the State and together the BJP and the PDP will approach the Governor and stake the claim for formation of the Government very soon.�
Today�s BJP meeting was attended by Madhav, who is also the party�s national general secretary, and Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh. � PTI
