Exclusive: PDP will lead coalition with Congress, NC in Jammu & Kashmir, says Mehbooba Mufti

Speaking to India Today TV, Mehbooba Mufti said PDP will lead the coalition in Jammu and Kashmir but who among them will lead as the leader of the government is something we are still discussing.

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Exclusive: PDP will lead coalition with Congress, NC in Jammu & Kashmir, says Mehbooba Mufti
Mehbooba Mufti has said PDP will be leading the coalition. (PTI photo)

In a major push to the anti-BJP front, the Congress is all set to join hands with Jammu and Kashmir's two main political parties to form a ruling alliance in the state that has been put under the Governor's rule for the past five months even since Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) walked out of the previous coalition government with Mehbooba Mufti's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). India Today TV spoke to former CM Mehbooba Mufti in an exclusive interview for the first time after the news of the alliance broke out on Wednesday. Here are the excerpts:

What is going on about the alliance? Have the three parties come together?

Our main concern was Section 35A and the state's special status. The case is coming up in January. When I was there in the government, we defended it. We had hired the best lawyers. But since then nothing seems to be happening. It is not being defended the way it should have been. Kashmiri people have been making huge sacrifices for it. Interventions and amendments are being made, which are not in the interest of the people. The priority is to safeguard the special status of the state and that is the reason we decided to come together.

Was this alliance a result of reports of BJP and others making a new group to form the government?

The way BJP is going after the mainstream parties here, they are trying to dislodge parties which have been democratically established with great difficulty and effort in state. To counter this, we took the decision.

Who initiated the efforts of forming this alliance? Was it PDP, Congress or National Conference (NC)?

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All the three have done it together. Like us, they were also concerned about Section 35A and the way the Centre was moving about it.

Who is going to lead this coalition?

PDP will lead it but who exactly among them is something we are still discussing.

Has NC agreed to be part of the government or will they support from outside?

Those details we are yet to work out.

Have you sent the letter of support to the Governor?

We are faxing a letter for the Governor along with the support of other two parties right now. We will see what happens next.

WATCH | PDP, NC and Congress join hands in Jammu and Kashmir