SRINAGAR: The State BJP had no inkling about the party’s withdrawal of support to the Mehbooba Mufti-led coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday and maintains that if the situation improves during Governor’s rule, then the party can again think about forming a popular government.
Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta told TNIE that the State BJP had no inkling and the decision to pull out was taken during the party meeting in New Delhi, which was chaired by BJP president Amit Shah and attended by top central leaders and State leaders and ministers.
“It was unanimously decided in the meeting that we should pull out from the coalition government,” said Gupta.
Gupta said deteriorating security situation forced the party to pull out from the government. “The Home Ministry was with Mehbooba and the PDP was not willing to take action against stone pelters, as a result of which the law and order and security situation was deteriorating,” he said.
Gupta, a staunch RSS loyalist, said now that Governor’s rule has been imposed, the situation would improve in the strife-torn State.
Asked whether the saffron party was planning to form a government with another party, the former Deputy Chief Minister replied in the negative.
“If we had to form with another government, why would we have withdrawn support from the PDP-led government? We were running the government,” he said.
Gupta, however, said they believe in the democratic process. “Governor’s rule cannot last forever. There should be a popular government.” Asked whether he thinks there should be early Assembly elections, Gupta said, “There are still two-and-a-half years left for holding Assembly polls in the State.”
“If the situation improves during Governor’s rule, then forming a government can be thought about,” he said. “Nothing can be ruled out at this point of time,” added Gupta.
Meanwhile, National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah on Thursday termed the break-up of the PDP-BJP alliance as a ‘brilliant fixed match.’
‘The PDP & BJP have been watching Bollywood movies for political strategy. This is how they have crafted their ‘divorce’. Brilliant fixed match, scripted to perfection except the audience aren’t fools & neither are the rest of us,’ Omar tweeted.
‘Walk the talk’
NC leader Omar Abdullah called for the immediate dissolution of the Assembly, saying keeping it in suspended animation encourages ‘dalals’ (brokers).
If Ram Madhav is true to his word that there is no question of horse trading and clearly no new alliances are being formed then the Assembly should be dissolved, he contends.