High drama in Jammu and Kashmir, Governor dissolves assembly amid claims for power

In a sudden development, the Jammu and Kashmir Governor on Wednesday night dissolved the state assembly, which has been in suspended animation, shortly after rival alliances staked claim to form the government.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik.

Srinagar (J&K): In a dramatic development, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was dissolved by Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday night after three mainstream parties --Congress, Peoples Democratic Party and National Conference, came together to stake claim to form a government that was countered by Peoples Conference leader Sajad Lone with the BJP's backing. The governor made a terse announcement saying he was exercising powers conferred on him by the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution and dissolving the House which had two more years to go. The governor passed the order hours after the Congress, the PDP and the NC dropped their political differences to come together to forge an alliance in a bid to checkmate moves by the BJP to form a government with the support of PDP rebels and Lone in Jammu and Kashmir, which was placed under governor’s rule since June this year. Late in the evening, former Chief Minister and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti wrote to the Governor saying the Congress and National Conference had decided to extend support to her party to form a government in the troubled state.

Jammu and Kashmir governor Stya Pal Malik dissolves state assembly. pic.twitter.com/nVKwU2XxTk

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) November 21, 2018

This was countered by Lone, who also wrote to the Governor staking claim to form the government with BJP's backing. He claimed the support of 18 MLAs besides the 25-strong BJP, contending that it was more than the required number for majority. Mufti, in her letter to the Governor, said that with a strength of 29 MLAs of its own, the PDP would have a collective strength of 56 MLAs including 15 of National Conference and 12 of the Congress. "Since I'm presently in Srinagar, it would not be possible 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 wrote to the Governor who was said to be away in Chandigarh for a wedding.

After joining hands, the Congress-PDP-NC alliance stakes claim to form government in Jammu and Kashmir.https://t.co/XroUzG3ESV pic.twitter.com/wt7odTSZsO

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) November 21, 2018

Hours after joining hands, the alliance staked claim to form the government in the state. In a letter to Governor Satya Pal Malik, PDP chief and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said the Congress-PDP-NC alliance has a collective strength of 56 MLAs in the 87-member House. Earlier in the day, almost all the MLAs from the three parties had joined hands to form the government which was left hanging by the BJP after it pulled out of the ruling coalition with PDP. Senior PDP leader Altaf Bukhari had met National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah met this morning following which the deal was sealed. The parties were engaged in hectic parleys in the last few weeks to stitch a partnership with an agenda to keep BJP out of power. Giving out details of the meting, Bukhari had said, "An alliance has been made with over 60 MLAs of Congress, PDP and NC on board to protect our special identity. I have no details about the contours of the alliance but it is to protect the special status, 370 and 35A.” "We have to keep communal forces at bay. To keep BJP away we are coming together to form government," he said The state was under governor's rule which couldn't be extended after it completes its six-month period on December 19. "It depends whether governor will dissolve assembly before that or will allow them to form government. But people will get a good news by tomorrow,"Bukhari had said. The 87-member state Assembly has 28 MLAs of the PDP, 26 of the BJP, 15 of the NC, 12 of Congress, 2 of People's Conference and 4 independents. A popular government headed by the Peoples Democratic Party's Mehbooba Mufti fell when its partner BJP pulled out of the ruling coalition on June 16. Political circles were agog with speculation that behind the scene efforts were underway to prop up a government headed by Sajjad Lone's People Conference, which has only two MLAs but which would be banking on support by the 25 MLAs of BJP, reported news agency PTI. However, this combination would have fallen short of the required majority of 44 which is sought to be made by splitting the PDP which has been rocked by dissidence. The sources had said that in order to checkmate such efforts to prop up another BJP-backed government, mainstream parties such as the Congress, PDP and the National Conference were in touch to form a government. The plan envisaged a coalition between PDP and Congress, which have been partners in a government between 2002 to 2007, backed from outside by the National Conference. The PDP has 28 MLAs, followed by NC with 15 and Congress with 12 which will make up for a clear majority. The National Conference sources made it clear that they were not interested in joining a coalition government but would not be averse to giving outside support to a PDP-Congress coalition. If such an arrangement were to come about, Mehbooba Mufti was unlikely to be the chief minister but the government could have been headed by a senior PDP leader. Coming together of traditionally bitter rivals, the PDP and the NC, would mark a significant realignment of political forces in the state. The National Conference had offered its support to the PDP after the 2014 assembly polls but the latter ignored the offer and aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). After the June 16 pull-out, Lone is understood to have been approaching disgruntled PDP leaders for forming an alliance with the BJP, the sources said. Imran Ansari, former PDP minister, is among a few others who have been cosy with the People's Conference, which has also approached some of the MLAs for joining the alliance with the BJP. A former separatist leader, Lone had been successful in breaking away National Conference's chief spokesman Junaid Muttu, who recently contested the urban local body elections and became Mayor of Srinagar. Efforts made to get a response from Lone did not fructify as he did not respond to messages sent by PTI. A founder member of PDP, Muzzafar Beigh also joined the bandwagon of Lone on Tuesday and held a press conference here and said "the PDP betrayed the workers, denying them a chance to connect with the people, by boycotting the elections. They left a vacuum and that space has now been occupied. Politics does not wait for people who boycott." Beigh said, "Now this talk of NC-PDP alliance. How will people of Jammu react? How will people of Ladakh react? It will be an alliance of one religion. Jammu would not like it, Ladakh will not remain part of the state. This will lead to trifurcation of the state." A former member of People's Conference, Beigh  had said he was not averse to formation of a third front led by Lone and went on to say "Sajad Lone is like my son. I had contested the elections that led to registration of Peoples Conference as a political party. If Sajad (Lone) is interested in (formation of third front), it should be encouraged. People want something different from the beaten track". "Sajad has not contacted me directly. The BJP has not contacted me (on government formation or third front formation). However, there are people within the party (PDP) who want an elected government," he said. (With additional information from PTI)