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J&K Alliance split: BJP pulls out of PDP-led govt in Jammu and Kashmir

Mehbooba resigns, *Omar Abdullah rules out support, *Governor’s rule likely

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(Left) Outgoing CM Mehbooba Mufti in Srinagar; (right) BJP’s Ram Madhav announces decision in New Delhi
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Decks have been cleared for Governor's rule in Jammu and Kashmir after Governor NN Vohra forwarded his report to President Ram Nath Kovind. The step comes after BJP pulled out of its alliance with PDP in the state, leaving Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti with no option but to resign given her party's lack of numerical strength. National Conference — the third biggest party in the Assembly — and the Congress both said they would not partner with any party to form government in the state. The BJP had said, while bowing out, that it favours Governor's rule.

A Raj Bhavan spokesman said that after concluding consultations with all the major political parties in J&K, Governor Vohra forwarded his report for imposition of Governor's rule under Section 92 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. The move is a formality, as unlike other governors, Vohra has to inform the President and not seek his approval, given J&K's special status. This would be the eighth time that Governor's rule would be imposed in the state since 1977.

PDP and BJP's 39-month-old marriage ended in a bitter divorce on Tuesday after the latter pulled the rug from underneath the coalition, prompting Mehbooba to call it a day.

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav had held a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday morning to announce that it had become untenable for the BJP to continue in the alliance government in the state.

He said that keeping in mind that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and in order to control the prevailing situation in the state, the party had decided that the reins of power in the state be handed over to the governor.

Earlier in the day, Vohra received a letter signed by state BJP president Ravinder Raina and leader, BJP Legislature Party Kavinder Gupta to withdraw the party's support to the coalition government in the state. Thereafter, Mehbooba tendered her resignation and the Governor asked her to continue in office until alternative arrangements were made.

"The Governor spoke to Gupta and Mehbooba to ascertain whether their respective political parties intended to explore alternative alliances to form a government and was informed in the negative by both leaders," said the spokesperson. "The Governor also spoke to G.A. Mir, president of J&K Congress Party, who informed that his party did not have the numerical strength to form the government on its own or in alliance."

Vohra also met with vice-president of National Conference Omar Abdullah, who stated that there was no alternative to Governor's Rule and elections.

Like the beginning, the end of the BJP-PDP government too was sudden and dramatic. Late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had said while taking the oath as chief minister on March 1, 2015 that the North Pole is meeting the South Pole. But time has proved that the marriage was not working, with both parties blaming each other for the collapse of the relationship.

Mehbooba was in her office till late on Monday evening, even as BJP president Amit Shah urgently called his party's lawmakers from from the state to Delhi for a meeting at around 11.30 pm. Tensions had been simmering between the two partners after the Centre called off the Ramzan truce, despite Mehbooba advocating its extension in the security review meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Sources said PDP leaders had become so complacent that they came to know about BJP's pull-out from the media after Madhav's press conference. Without numbers to cling to, Mehbooba submitted her resignation to the Governor N N Vohra on Tuesday evening. She told the governor that PDP would not go into any other alliance.

She then addressed the media and began with her government's achievements, countering BJP's allegations of failure of security in the state, but failed to pin-point what had led to the fall.

In the state elections in 2015, the BJP won 25 seats and the PDP 28 in the 87-member assembly. The two parties came together to form government with an Agenda of Alliance.

The Congress, which has 12 seats in the assembly, said there is no question of an alliance with the PDP. The other major party in the state is the National Conference with 15 seats.

It's working president Omar Abdullah said that while he was not surprised by the BJP's decision, the timing took him by surprise. "I was expecting this coalition to fall apart but I had expected this to happen a later in the year," he said.

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