After almost three months of indecision, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Peoples Democratic Party jointly called on Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra on Saturday and staked a claim to form a new government in the state. Jammu and Kashmir has been under governor’s rule after its Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed died in January. His daughter and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti is set to take over as the new chief minister, and the BJP’s Nirmal Singh will be the deputy chief minister. Mufti on Saturday thanked the BJP for its "unconditional support" and said she was very satisfied with the assurances Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given her.

Nirmal Singh said the two parties will meet and decide on their future course of action. Reports say Mufti is likely to be sworn in as chief minister by next week. On Friday, the PDP and BJP had finally agreed to form an alliance in the state after disagreeing on several fronts in the months following Mufti Mohammed Sayeed’s death. On Tuesday, Mehbooba Mufti met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said their talks were “positive”, triggering speculation that the two parties would come together at last.