BJP's Nirmal Singh to be Deputy CM of Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu: The BJP on Friday elected Nirmal Singh as its leader in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly and nominated him for the deputy chief minister's post in the new PDP-BJP alliance government to be headed by PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti.

Speaking after BJP legislators' meet, state BJP president Satpal Sharma said, "The BJP legislature party has elected Nirmal Singh as its leader and nominated him for the deputy chief minister's post in the new coalition government."

Sharma also said the BJP had decided to extend support to Mehbooba Mufti, daughter of former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, to head the PDP-BJP government in the state.

Nirmal Singh had earlier served as the deputy chief minister in the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed-led PDP-BJP coalition that was in office for 10 months till Sayeed died on January 7.

Besides the BJP legislators, Jitendra Singh, the minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office, and Ram Madhav, general secretary in the Bharatiya Janata Party in charge of Jammu and Kashmir affairs, attended the meeting.

"The BJP reiterated that no fresh conditions (by PDP) had been accepted and the alliance with the PDP will continue on the basis of the agenda of alliance signed (earlier) by the two parties," a BJP source said.

IANS