BJP’s decision was a surprise for Mufti
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti was busy handling government files at her chambers in the civil secretariat on Tuesday when she received word around 2pm that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had pulled out of the coalition government headed by her People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Until then, Mufti and the PDP had no inkling about the withdrawal of support by the BJP, news of which was broken to her by state chief secretary, BB Vyas, people familiar with the development said on the condition of anonymity.
Both the BJP and the PDP leaders had brushed off as rumours speculation about the fate of the government that had been rife since the previous evening, when all BJP ministers were summoned to New Delhi for a meeting with party president, Amit Shah.
An assembly member from north Kashmir was in Mufti’s chambers when the state chief secretary walked in and sought an audience with the chief minister. “The chief minister was busy in giving assurances to us,” the legislator told Hindustan Times, adding that there had been no suspicion of what was in store. “The chief minister even gave me assurances about our developmental projects. Even I was assured that projects will be given the nod.”
After the news was conveyed to Mufti, she asked her private secretary, Hashmat Ali Khan, to call three PDP ministers to her chambers.The first to arrive was minister for rural development and panchayati raj, Abdul Rehman Veeri, who is a legislator from the south Kashmir’s Bijbharea constituency and the seniormost PDP minister in the government, next only to Mufti.The others were agriculture minister Ghulam Nabi Hanjoora and minister of state for health Asiea Naqash. The three were the only ministers at the secretariat at the time.
After a brief meeting with the ministers, Mufti left for her official residence at Srinagar’s Gupkar. Many senior ministers followed Mufti to her residence, where the top PDP leadership had begun to assemble to devise its strategy after the BJP’s withdrawal of support. It was when Mehbooba Mufti reached her residence that the news became public. She later faxed her resignation to J&K governor Narendra Nath Vohra from her residence.
An official at the CM’s office said that Mufti was busy in routine work and met delegations at her office. “The decision took everybody by surprise as nobody had imagined the government would fall like this,’’ the official said. A senior PDP leader who is close to the J&K chief minister confirmed that the party leadership, including the chief minister, had no inkling that the BJP would withdraw support though rumours had started spreading after BJP ministers were called to New Delhi. “For all of us, it was a big surprise. Only 10 days ago, the J&K chief minister had a detailed meeting with the Union home minister,” he said.