Polls near, PDP says it's willing to work with BJP

Stopping short of announcing an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has said that her party was willing to work with the saffron party "for the sake of the state".

Stopping short of announcing an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has said that her party was willing to work with the saffron party "for the sake of the state".

The statement assumes significance as till recently, an alliance between the BJP and PDP would have been hard to believe. "We have been able to persuade successive governments to work with us for the sake of the state," said Mufti.

"Although we had no alliance with the BJP, we worked together for cross-border trade and the Srinagar-Muzafarabad bus service. We will continue to do the same no matter which party comes to power," she said.

Mufti however said a "strong leadership and national party" at the helm in Delhi would be good for Kashmir. "Our agenda is to provide good governance and also work towards a resolution on Kashmir. We have worked with Vajpayeeji and we have worked with the UPA, so we think a strong leadership at the Centre will be good for Kashmiris," she said.