Manmohan is back, may have CM by rotation up his sleeve

The Congress finally seems to have made headway in its efforts at forging a coalition with the People’s Democratic Party in Jammu and K...

The Congress finally seems to have made headway in its efforts at forging a coalition with the People’s Democratic Party in Jammu and Kashmir, Manmohan Singh returning to New Delhi from Srinagar today with ‘‘some concrete proposals’’.

Sources said they include the rotation of the chief ministership and home ministership between the two parties for a set period of time.

Both the parties, during extended discussions, also seemed to have agreed upon a common minimum programme for a coalition government.

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Party president Sonia Gandhi has convened a meeting tomorrow of the senior leaders of the party to discuss the proposals which, if approved, could be read as a major step towards government formation in the state.

Singh — who appeared optimistic tonight, saying ‘‘hopefully’’ a decision could be taken tomorrow for a coalition — briefed Sonia about his discussion.

On his two meetings with PDP chief Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, he said, ‘‘We made certain suggestions. Muftiji made some counter suggestions. And they will be taken up tomorrow.’’ The late-night development ended a day of little progress. He met PDP vice-presidents Mehbooba Mufti and Muzaffer Beigh, in the presence of J&K Pradesh Congress Congress Committee chief Ghulam Nabi Azad.

PDP Vice-President Beigh, however, insisted that ‘‘there was never a deadlock’’ and that talks took time to ‘‘fructify easily’’.

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Singh and Azad later met Governor G C Saxena, saying it was a courtesy call. The Congress leaders also met the Panthers Party chief Bhim Singh, who has extended conditional support to the Congress, the eight-member forum of independents — which supports Azad’s candidature for chief ministership — and CPI(M) leaders.