Before deal, Muftis package it to voters

‘‘The mandate of people is clearly for a coalition government. And we will respect the verdict of the people,’’ Mufti said. ‘‘Sonia Gandhi has called me to Delhi and Manmohan Singh too spoke to me. I wanted to tell you that all the people who were on an anti-NC plank have to work together on a common minimum programme. I want to assure you that we will never make any compromise by sacrificing your aspirations,’’ he said.

Setting the stage for a patch up with Congress, Mufti said there was absolute consensus between the two. ‘‘Sonia Gandhi came to Kashmir and talked of a unconditional dialogue with militants. The PM too accepts the only way forward is through a dialogue,’’ he said.

His tone today was reconciliatory; he showered praise on his party’s likely coalition partner.

‘‘The Congress had an agreement in Nagaland. They got Assam out of bloodshed. They resolved the Punjab problem. In Kashmir too — despite having a majority in the house in 1975 — they signed an accord with Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah to resolve this problem,’’ he said.

But it’s a sore point with his supporters and he spoke to them directly. ‘‘You should not feel dejected. We will not shatter your hopes. I know our people have been suppressed all these years. Believe me, this is going to be a turning point in the state’s history,’’ he said.

Interestingly, while Mufti spoke in Urdu in a speech aimed at Delhi, his daughter, preceding him, spoke in Kashmiri. And began on the offensive. ‘‘I have been told not to talk much because it creates problems,’’ she said, to loud applause.

‘‘We want resolution of that issue for which thousands of our young men gave their lives,’’ she said. ‘‘I have come to tell you we have not forgotten our promise to create an honourable way out for them to come back to their homes.”

‘‘We are aware of the lack of roads, electricity, water supply. We know there are families who have nothing to eat. These things could have been easily provided by the Governor as well. Our priority is to restore peace with dignity and get Kashmir out of this bloodshed.’’