High drama in Jammu and Kashmir: Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolves Assembly - latest updates

Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the state assembly under the relevant provisions in Jammu and Kashmir constitution: official communique. 

Jammu and Kashmir governor dissolves assembly pic.twitter.com/Ea6R4X2MgW

— DNA (@dna) November 21, 2018

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"The proposed alliance between the INC and the PDP broke up even before it was formed. They have taken contradictory positions on dissolution. One supports it and the other opposes it. Keeping the security scenario of J&K in mind, can it afford horse-trading and instability? J&K needs a firm administration to deal with terrorism and not a combination of terror-friendly parties. The best option in such a scenario is to go in for a fresh election at the earliest. This assembly cannot produce a stable government," BJP said in a series of tweets. 

"In my twenty six year old career as a politician, I thought I had seen it all! But like they say never say never! Nevertheless, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Omar Abdullah and Ambika Soni ji for helping us achieve the seemingly impossible. Since the past five months, regardless of political affiliations, we shared the view that the state assembly be dissolved immediately to avert horse trading & defections. Oddly enough our pleas fell on deaf ears. But who would have thought that the very idea of a grand coalition would give such jitters," Mehbooba Mufti said in a series of tweets. 

"PS - In today's age of technology, it is very strange that the fax machine at HE Governor’s residence didn’t receive our fax but swiftly issued one regarding the assembly dissolution," she said. 

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National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah said his party had been pressing for assembly dissolution for 5 months but the order came within minutes of Mehbooba Mufti letter staking claim to form the government. 

"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," Abdullah tweeted. 

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Sajad Lone, leader of the People's Conference, on Wednesday staked claim to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir with the support of the 25-legislator strong BJP and "more than 18" other lawmakers.

In a letter to Governor Satya Pal Malik, Lone, whose party has two MLAs, including himself, said he has the support of more than required number of legislators in the assembly to form a government.

"Following our telephonic conversation regarding government formation in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, I hereby formally stake claim for the government formation in the state with the support of the BJP and more than 18 other elected members of the J&K state legislature...," he said.

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PDP patron Mehbooba Mufti Wednesday staked claim to form a government with the support of the Congress and the National Conference.

In a letter to Governor Satyapal Malik, Mehbooba said the PDP is the largest party in the state assembly having a strength of 29 MLAs.

"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. 

The race is on. PDP doesn’t want to lose any time. @MehboobaMufti writes to governor J&K staking claim to form government pic.twitter.com/WkKFRpyXEk

— Abhishek Bhalla (@AbhishekBhalla7) November 21, 2018

(Photo: PTI)

Senior PDP leader Altaf Bukhari had met National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah earlier in the day. Bukhari said he did not discuss the alliance issue with the former chief minister.

"We keep on meeting. I had no talks about the alliance but generally we all meet," he said. 

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Senior PDP leader Altaf Bukhari said the three parties have agreed to join hands to form a new government in Jammu and Kashmir. "The leaders have agreed to form an alliance. The PDP, NC, Congress at the leadership level have agreed. What are the contours of the alliance, it has not come down to MLAs. I am an MLA and I have been told only this much," Bukhari told reporters in Srinagar.

Altaf Bukhari was tipped to lead the alliance if it comes to fruition, denied that he had called a meeting of PDP MLAs in connection with government formation. Asked if he was in the running for the chief minister's post, Bukhari said, "There is no such thing. The chief minister will be from among the leaders. This issue is not about chief ministership".

"This alliance is being formed to address the Kashmir issue, the situation in Kashmir and to protect the special identity of the state that we have in the Constitution of India. 

"As elected representatives, we have to respond to the aspirations of the people and the emerging situation. Article 370 and Article 35-A are under attack. This alliance is not being formed for being in power," he added.

To a query on when would the alliance be announced formally, he said, "It should be made very soon. Nothing has been planned for today in view of Eid Milad-un-Nabi celebrations". 

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Senior BJP leader Ram Madhav who was instrumental in building the alliance between BJP and PDP in J&K has levelled a sensational allegation against two of the main parties in the state . Speaking to ANI, Madhav said that PDP and NC boycotted the local body elections in the state due to instructions from across the border, alluding to Pakistan. He said that they probably again had instructions from across the border to join hands to form government after BJP did well in the local body polls. He dubbed the Congress- PDP-NC alliance that was going to stake claim to form the government as unethical and said there action must have prompted the Governor to dissolve the assembly.  Senior National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah lashed out at Ram Madhav, shortly after BJP leader hinted Pakistan may be behind the PDP-NC alliance in the state. Omar Abdullah was livid with this insinuation and said on Twitter, "  I dare you @rammadhavbjp ji to prove your allegation. You have RAW, NIA & IB at your command (CBI too is your parrot) so have the guts to place evidence in the public domain. Either prove this or be man enough to apologise. Don’t practice shoot & scoot politics." When Ram Madhav tried to lighten the situation, that too didn't go down too well with the ex-CM. BJP leader said, "Just take it in your stride @OmarAbdullah Not questioning your patriotism at all. But d sudden love between NC n PDP n d hurry to form government leads to many suspicions n political comments. Not to offend u." So, in essence, he played down charges made about PDP-NC being in cahoots with Pakistan. But that wasn't enough to placate Omar Abdullah.  He snapped back saying, " No, misplaced attempts at humour won’t work. You HAVE claimed my party has been acting at the behest of Pakistan. I dare you to prove it! Place the evidence of your allegation of NC boycott of ULB polls at Pak behest in public domain. It’s an open challenge to you & your Govt".

Responding to reports that the PDP would approach the court against dissolution of the J&K Assembly, state governor Satya Pal Malik said, "Why will they go to court? They were demanding this since five months. I want that they go to court, it's their right, they should go." Clearing the air about the 'damaged' fax machine, Malik added, "Fax isn't an issue. Yesterday was Eid. Both of them are devoted Muslim & should know that offices are closed that day. Even my cook was on leave, let alone the person who handles fax. Even if I had received the fax, my stand would have been the same."

The Jammu and Kashmir Congress on Thursday attacked Governor Satya Pal Malik over the "undemocratic" decision to dissolve the state assembly and alleged that he kept the House in suspended animation to "facilitate horse trading" by the BJP and its allies to form the government. 

"It was an undemocratic decision by the governor when three parties came together to stake claim for the government. It is simple murder of democracy in this sensitive state," Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir said It has sent a wrong message to the people, he added. Mir said demands by political parties in the past for dissolution of the state assembly were turned down even though they had made it clear that none of them was in the position of form the government.  "But he (Malik) said that he can run the assembly in suspended animation till 2020," the state Congress chief said.

"He was facilitating the BJP and its allies in Kashmir (so) that they should bulldoze other parties, arrange numbers through horse trading and allow them to form the government," Mir alleged. He said the move to dissolve the state assembly after the PDP, Congress and NC alliance staked claim raised questions about the Governor's office. "Our alliance did not suit the BJP and the central government. The assembly was dissolved on their directions," he alleged. 

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Senior BJP leader Ram Madhav, who earlier on Thursday claimed that the National Conference and the PDP had "instructions from across the border" to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir, retracted his statement after former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah challenged him to prove the allegation. 

Responding to Abdullah's tweet, Ram Madhav said, "Just landed at Aizawl and saw this. Now that you deny any external pressure I take back my comment. But, now that you proved it was genuine love between NC and PDP that prompted a failed government formation attempt. You should fight next elections together. Mind you, it’s a political comment, not personal."

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Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Thursday defended his decision to dissolve the Assembly saying he took the step on Wednesday as it was a holy day of Eid-i-Milad-un-Nabi.

"I selected yesterday for the decision as it was a holy day, it was Eid," he told reporters when asked why he chose Wednesday to dissolve the Assembly.

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On the criticism that the fax at the Raj Bhavan was not working, Malik said it was Eid and nobody was manning the machine. 

"Fax is not an issue. Yesterday was Eid. Both of them are devoted Muslim and should know that offices are closed that day. Even my cook was on leave, let alone the person who handles fax. Even if I had received the fax, my stand would have been the same," Malik told reporters at Raj Bhavan in Jammu. 

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said Governor Satya Pal Malik turned out to be another slave of the Centre. "I had a lot of hopes from this Governor, but this is very sad. He has turned out to be another slave of the Centre. The post of Governor needs to be looked into. Why did he wait 5 months to dissolve assembly?" 

Reacting to BJP's statement that said that the PDP-NC alliance was a combination of terror-friendly parties, Abdullah said, "When PDP was in alliance with BJP then it was not 'terror-friendly?' It has become 'terror-friendly' when it talked of alliance with NC and Congress?"