Governor's rule is looming large over the Jammu and Kashmir after caretaker chief minister Omar Abdullah requested the governor NN Vohra to relieve him from his responsibilities.
Why is governor's rule imminent?
Omar had tendered resignation as chief minister on December 24, a day after his party National Conference received a drubbing in the assembly polls. Governor Vohra had asked him to stay as caretaker chief minister till the next government is formed. Omar has followed the footsteps of his father Farooq Abdullah who refused to be the caretaker chief minister in October 2002 after his party National Conference received a drubbing in the polls.
"Just to confirm I did meet Governor Vohra sahib last night and asked him to relieve me as caretaker CM. I had agreed to stay temporarily," Omar tweeted.
Since there are no signs of government formation and Omar insisting on relieving him, Vohra in consultation with centre might impose central rule till the political parties get numbers to form the next government. Vohra is currently in New Delhi.
Why is Omar stepping down?
"I had assumed government formation would be a matter of a week or 10 days. Today we seem even further away from that goal than we were 10 days ago", Omar said
Omar noted that only a full time government can serve the people not the caretaker who has no mandate. "I believe the interests of the state will only be served by a full time administrator and not a caretaker with no mandate to govern," he said.
What lies in store for Jammu and Kashmir?
Jammu and Kashmir shall have to wait for popular government till political parties stitch an alliance to reach the magic number of 44. So far no party has a clear mandate with PDP emerging as single largest party with 28 MLAs followed by BJP with 25 MLAs and NC 15 MLAs.
Though PDP and BJP are holding talks to form the government yet the contentious issues of rotational chief minister and CMP remains.
"BJP and PDP should keep their agendas aside and focus on peace progress and development. BJP also want rotational chief minister with both parties leading the government for three years each. Plus BJP has kept options open with other parties as well," said Vibodh Gupta, state vice president of BJP.
How is PDP reacting to these developments?
PDP is blaming Omar for pushing the state into governor rule calling his attitude "childish". "He is pushing the state into governor's rule. There is still time till January 19. There are still two weeks to go and he knows it is a hung assembly. It is very difficult making a government out of this given the fractured mandate. It is out rightly childish," said Naeem Akthar, chief spokesman of PDP.
How is National Conference reacting to the allegations?
"This is the responsibility of the single largest party. They are admitting they are in negotiations. They have said they are talking. It is they who have to decide now. Caretaker chief minister has no mandate to deliver on the evolving needs of the people, It needs full time government," said Junaid Azim Mattu, spokesman of National Conference.
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