(This story originally appeared in on Feb 18, 2016)

SRINAGAR: BJP general secretary Ram Madhav met PDP president Mehbooba Mufti at her residence here on Wednesday and, according to sources, conveyed to her the Centre's willingness to lift the contentious Armed Forces Special Powers Act ( AFSPA ) on a trial basis from Jammu & Kashmir. Madhav also spoke of handing over two power projects to the state to end the 40-day deadlock over government formation.Following former CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's death last month, his daughter Mehbooba has delayed government formation with BJP , seeking specific concessions from the Centre “to rebuild confi dence in her party cadre“.The phased revocation of AFSPA and the handing over of the power projects ­ Dulhasti in Kishtwar and Uri in Baramulla ­ were part of the agenda for alliance or the common minimum programme agreed on by PDP and BJP last February . However, Madhav and Mehbooba declined to share the details of the meeting with the media. Mehbooba, sources said, had asked the Centre for the revoca tion of AFSPA from areas where militancy had declined over the past decade.Sources said that the Centre might agree to lift AFSPA from Srinagar and Kathua district in the first phase on a trial basis. This was conveyed to Mehbooba by Madhav during their meeting, BJP sources said.Since BJP has agreed to fulfil the conditions put forth by the PDP chief, a formal announcement of government formation will be made soon, BJP sources added.“The stage is set for a new PDP-BJP government in the state,“ a BJP official said.J&K has been under governor's rule ever since the Mufti Sayeed died on January 7 this year. Sources said the BJP leadership has met thrice in recent weeks to try and resolve issues bedevilling the rebuilding of their coaltion with PDP . At the same time, it has said it won't edit or redraft the agenda of alliance.Mehbooba had earlier pitched for the J&K specific measures like state control over the power corporations and asked BJP to come clear over the implementation of the agenda of alliance.