SRI NAGAR: Amid high drama, Jammu & Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday dissolved the Assembly after former CM Mehbooba Mufti and People’s Conference leader Sajjad Gani Lone staked their respective claims to form the new government in the state.
While Mufti claimed her Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) had the support of the Congress and the National Conference, Lone said the BJP and 18 other legislators were with him, though his party has just two MLAs.
The Governor’s decision to dissolve the Assembly came within half an hour of Mufti staking her party’s claim.
One of the reasons for dissolving the Assembly was “the impossibility of forming a stable government by the coming together of political parties with opposing political ideologies including some which have been demanding dissolution of the Assembly,” a Raj Bhavan statement said, adding that the coming together of such parties in a grouping “is nothing but an attempt to gain power rather than to form a responsive government”.
The day began with arch-rivals PDP and the NC burying the hatchet and joining hands with the Congress to form a coalition, sensing the BJP was trying to prop up Lone and cobble together a Third Front. “Leaders of three parties (PDP, NC and Congress) have agreed to join hands to form the government in J&K,” senior PDP leader and former finance minister Altaf Bukhari told reporters on Wednesday.
The state came under Governor’s rule on June 19 after the BJP withdrew support to the Mehbooba government. With Malik dissolving the Assembly, J&K is now headed for another spell of the Central rule beyond December 18 when the Governor’s rule could have come to an end.
“You might have gathered from the media reports that the Congress and the National Conference have also decided to extend support to our party to form a government in the state. The National Conference has a strength of 15 MLAs and the Congress 12. That takes our collective strength to 56. Since I am presently in Srinagar, it would not be possible for me to call on you immediately and this is to keep you informed that we would be seeking your convenience shortly to stake the claim for forming the government in the state,” Mehbooba said in her letter.
She also tweeted the letter saying it has not been received by the Governor’s office. In the J&K Assembly, PDP has 28 seats, NC 15, Congress 12 and one nominated member. However, since three PDP MLAs, including influential Shia leader Imran Ansari, his uncle Abid Ansari and MLA Tangmarg Abbas Wani have rebelled against Mehbooba, the PDP’s effective strength is 25.
Sajjad Lone was a minister from the BJP’s quota in the PDP-BJP government and was trying to forge a Third Front with support from disgruntled PDP MLAs and Shia leader Imran Ansari besides the BJP that has 25 MLAs.Senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta alleged the NC-PDP axis happened on Pakistan’s bidding.
How the drama unfolded
9 am: Buzz begins on NC, PDP, Congress forming a Grand Alliance for coalition govt in J&K
2 pm: PDP leader and former finance minister Altaf Bukhari confirms coalition talks
4 pm: NC leader Nasir Aslam Wani, too, says talks are on
8.16 pm: PDP chief and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti releases the copy of the letter faxed to Governor Satya Pal Malik staking claim to form govt with help from NC and Congress
8.24 pm: Separatist-turned-mainstream politician Sajjad Lone, too, stakes his claim, releases the letter written to Governor. Claims support of BJP and over 18 other MLAs
9 pm: Governor dissolves State Assembly
Murder of democracy, cries opposition
The NC, PDP and the Congress termed the dissolution of the Assembly as “murder of democracy”. Hinting at moving the court, NC leader Nasir Aslam Wani said “legal course is a way out. Our party leaders will meet and take a call on it”. He, however, added that the party was ready for the Assembly elections. State Congress vice-president and MLC Ghulam Nabi Monga alleged the governor had taken the decision at the behest of BJP.
Expect fresh spell of central rule
The Governor’s rule was imposed on June 19 for six months after the PDP-BJP coalition government collapsed. With Wednesday’s order, the state appears headed for a fresh spell of Central rule