Srinagar: An order issued by Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday night dissolved the region’s assembly with immediate effect, minutes after former Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti wrote to the Governor staking claim to form the government.
Mehbooba Mufti, President of the Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had tweeted that she had been trying to send the letter to the Governor, staking claim to form the government, and added that the office was not receiving the Fax.
In the order, Governor Malik, citing ‘multiple sources’, says that the dissolution of the Assembly came in the wake of the ‘impossibility of forming a stable government by the coming together of political parties with opposing political ideologies’ and called the alliance ‘nothing but an attempt to gain power rather than to form a responsive government’.
Furthermore, the order stated that the support of political parties with diverse ideologies had been ensured through horse-trading and ‘possible exchange of money’.
“Such activities are not healthy for democracy and vitiate the political process,” the report said.
The order also cast doubts on the long-term effects of such an alliance ‘where there are competing claims of majority’.
It also referred to the current operations being extensively taken on by armed forces which needed a ‘ a stable and supportive environment for security forces’, adding that they were ‘gradually gaining control over the security situation’.
The order ended with the Governor’s step, stating that it was ‘the best course of action’ which could ‘provide stability and security to the state’ and buy time for elections so that ‘a government with a clear mandate is duly formed’.
Following the dissolution, Omar Abdullah, Former Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir (JK) questioned the timing.
JKNC has been pressing for assembly dissolution for 5 months now. It can’t be a coincidence that within minutes of Mehbooba Mufti Sahiba letter staking claim the order to dissolve the assembly suddenly appears.
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) November 21, 2018
Earlier, Senior PDP leader Altaf Bukhari had said that the senior leaders of the National Conference, PDP and the Congress have agreed to make an alliance in order to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir.
Bukhari, according to reports, was emerging as the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance, however he said that right now he dosen’t know anything beyond the fact that an alliance has been agreed upon to protect the special status of the state.
He also informed that an official announcement regarding the alliance will be made in one or two days.
Earlier, Senior Congress Leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had confirmed that talks between the three parties are already going on.
While speaking to Free Press Kashmir, J&K Pradesh Congress Committee president G.A. Mir had said that he had no information about the meeting, however, he is not against the idea, “given the way communal forces have/ are planning to execute venomous ideas in the state.”
“If, on a national level, like minded people are putting forward their ideas, making it a role model and turning it into one single voice to fight against communal forces, won’t be wrong,” said Mir adding, “The naked-dance BJP has been performing and plans on doing here are evident by the way situation has turned tense here for last 4 years.”
The development happened a day after PDP heavy weight Muzaffar Hussain Baig said that he was ready to join a ‘third front’ if it emerges in Jammu and Kashmir.
However, the BJP has said that the three have come together on directions of Pakistan.
In a hurriedly called press conference in Jammu at the BJP headquarters, in reaction to the alliance, BJP leader Kavinder Gupta said, “These parties are coming together to form government on directions of Pakistan just to keep BJP away.”