J&K House dissolved as rivals stake claim
■ Mehbooba, Lone set off high-action drama
Amid a high-voltage political drama between warring factions of Jammu and Kashmir’s mainstream political arena, governor Satyapal Malik dissolved the state Assembly on Wednesday evening.
“By virtue of powers vested upon me in terms of Proclamation No. P-1/18 of
2018 dated 20th June 2018 issued under sub-section
(1) of section 92 and in exercise of the powers conferred upon me by clause (b) of sub-section (2) of section 53 of the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, I hereby dissolve the Legislative Assembly,” said an order by the governor.
Earlier, former CM and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti had written a letter to the Governor informing him that the National Conference, with 15 members, and the Congress, with 12 members in the Assembly, had decided to extend their support to her party to form a government in the state.
People’s Conference chief Sajad Gani Lone also wrote a similar letter to the Governor staking claim to government formation. He informed the Governor that he enjoys the support of the BJP legislature party, with 25 members, and 18 other elected members.
Ms Mufti’s letter read: “As you are aware, the People’s Democratic Party is the largest party in the Assembly, having a strength of 29. You might have gathered from 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. 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 claim for forming the government in the state.”
Srinagar/Jammu, Nov. 21: National Conference leader Omar Abdullah Wednesday said Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik’s decision to dissolve the state assembly within minutes of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti staking claim for government formation “cannot be a coincidence”.
In a sudden development, the Jammu and Kashmir Governor tonight dissolved the state assembly, which has been in suspended animation, shortly after rival alliances staked 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,” Omar said in a series of tweets.
Earlier, Mehbooba in a tweet said she was not able to fax her letter to the Raj Bhawan for staking claim for government formation. “J&K Raj Bhavan needs a new fax machine urgently,” Omar quipped after PDP president went public with her letter on Twitter.
The Trinamool Congress criticised the sudden dissolution of the J&K assembly and accused the BJP of having no respect for the constitution. “The BJP have no respect for the constitution and destroying every institution in the country,” TMC national spokesperson and leader of Rajya Sabha parliamentary party Derek O’ Brien said.
After governor’s rule was clamped in Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had proposed that the National Conference, the Congress and the PDP should come together to form the govt in J&K, a senior TMC leader, who did not wish to be named, said.
The dissolution paves the way for a fresh elections in the state amid speculation that it could be held with the Lok Sabha polls due early next year. The six-month tenure of the governor’s rule ends on December 18 which will be followed by President’s rule. The state assembly’s tenure was till October 2020. Governor’s rule was clamped in the state on June 19 for a 6month period following the collapse of the PDPBJP coalition government headed by Mehbooba Mufti after the saffron party withdrew support. The state assembly was also kept in suspended animation so that political parties could explore the possibility of forming a new government.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission will examine whether the model code of conduct can be imposed in Jammu and Kashmir even before fresh elections are announced there, a senior official said Wednesday after the governor dissolved the state assembly.
The poll panel had recently decided that in states where assemblies are dissolved prematurely,
‘the model code will come into force immediately.
The poll code, which bars the caretaker government and the party in power from taking policy decisions, otherwise comes into force the day polls are announced by the EC.
Telangana was the first state where the model code of conduct had come into effect before the assembly polls were announced. —PTI