BJP’s pointsman for Jammu and Kashmir Ram Madhav said on Saturday the party was in favour of the Governor’s Rule continuing in the state, and rejected reports that his party was hobnobbing with rebels of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to form government.

His comment on Twitter came in response to a tweet by National Conference leader former chief minister and Omar Abdullah who quoted a newspaper report and said a big chunk of PDP MLAs were in touch with the BJP high-command in New Delhi to form government in the state.

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Madhav tweeted: “we are for continuing with Governor’s rule in d interest of peace, governance n development in d state”.

Responding to allegations that the BJP was trying to break the PDP, with whom it shared power for more than three years, to form government with support of the defectors, Madhav said: “Not true. I will certainly check with d state unit n ensure that BJP keeps itself scrupulously out of whatever is happening in other parties in d valley.”

Quoting a newspaper report, Omar had tweeted: “Contrary to @rammadhavbjp assertions the state unit of the BJP confesses to being party to the efforts to break the @jkpdp. Power at any cost would seem to be the guiding philosophy.”

Taking a jibe at former CM Mehbooba Mufti on the issue of a couple of legislators deserting her, National Conference spokesman Junaid Azim Mattu said in a tweet: “The history of defections in J&K was championed by late Mufti Sb, may god bless his soul. A successful stealth operation in 1984 and then unsuccessful attempts between 2002 and 2004 to split NC at all costs. I hope @MehboobaMufti remembers those Daakas on votes today.”

The allegation of BJP engineering defections in other parties started flying thick when some top leaders from its state unit, including former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta, told the local media that a new government would shortly be formed in the state.

Such statements by local BJP leaders had shown the party in bad light, with opposition parties saying the BJP leadership was getting restless without power in J-K.

Reports have also been appearing that disintegration of the PDP began after Ram Madhav and other BJP leaders of the state met Sajjad Lone, a minister in the Mehbooba government from the BJP quota, to chalk out the future strategy. Thereafter, Lone reportedly flew to Delhi where he was in touch with the top BJP leadership. Some defectors of the PDP were also camping in Delhi.