Ruling alliance over MLC seat
After losing seat, upset PDP says BJP did not adhere to the ‘coalition dharma’; will take up matter with the party top brass
A cross vote by an independent legislator during the legislative council elections in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday has driven a wedge between the ruling coalition partners, the PDP and the BJP.
The PDP was banking on the support of Zanskar legislator Syed Mohammad Baqir Rizvi for the victory of its candidate Abdul Qayoom Dar on one of the two legislative council seats for which polling was held April 17. However, Rizvi dumped the PDP at the last minute and voted for BJP’S Vikram Randhawa. His vote resulted in a tie between the PDP and the BJP, which later won the seat in a draw of lots.
In the 87-member House, the PDP has 28 legislators and the BJP 25. Both the parties also have one nominated member each with voting rights.
Both Dar and Randhawa bagged 29 votes each. Besides Rizvi, the BJP candidate was also supported by two legislators of the Peoples Conference, headed by Sajjad Ghani Lone.
Upset over the development, the PDP leadership has decided to take up the issue with the BJP at the highest level. “It is very unfortunate. We have taken a serious note of it and we will take up the matter with the BJP leadership,” PDP spokesperson Mehboob Beg told HT.
At Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, CM Mehbooba Mufti expressed her annoyance over the “betrayal” by the BJP. Sources said she said the BJP did not adhere to the “coalition dharma” that resulted in a loss of a key seat for the PDP.
However, the BJP for its part maintained it cannot be blamed if the PDP failed to muster support from the independents.
Soon after the results were declared, the Pdp-led government sacked Rizvi from the post of vice-chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board and withdrew the status of Minister of State (MOS) given to him last year.
On the other hand, a combined opposition ensured the victory of Congress candidate Thakur Balbir Singh who bagged 31 votes.
What seems like a squabble over a legislative council seat is also an indication of internal rumblings in the ruling coalition that have resurfaced.
Sources in the BJP and the PDP admit that the precarious ties are being tested once again by the ongoing turmoil in the Valley. The renewed and intensified incidents of violence have put a strain on the coalition that came to power in 2015.
“After the now-on-now-off situation that the alliance found itself in soon after PDP founder and former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s death, the two sides had eased into a working relationship. But the current round of violence and the anger on the streets has again brought to fore the differences that both sides are trying to overcome,” a senior BJP leader said.
The disagreement over how to overcome people’s disenchantment with the establishment is a case in point.
The BJP wants the state government to opt for “drastic” solutions, pointing out how it has not shied away from meeting fiscal demands; but the PDP has been insinuating that statements from the BJP leadership and the army have stoked raw nerves.
The PDP also has a grouse that New Delhi is not doing enough to meet regional aspirations, a charge denied by the BJP leadership.
Does the fresh round of bickering mean the alliance is again at the brink of collapsing? Leaders of both sides are unanimous that it is unlikely. They admit there is no option for the PDP, but to continue the alliance as its position in the state is not so good .
‘GROWING CLAMOUR FOR GOVERNOR’S RULE ’
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said on Saturday that there was a growing clamour for Governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir. “Glad more people have realised PDP-BJP government is a disaster,” Chidambaram said in his tweet.
“The honourable course for... CM of J&K (Mehbooba Mufti) is to snap the coalition with BJP and make peace with the people,” he added. “If that means a spell of Governor’s rule, so be it,” Chidambaram said.
by recurring train derailments caused by suspected sabotage, particularly in UP, the Indian Railways are looking at ways to ensure better utilisation of the shortstaffed force by allowing them to focus on its core functions of ensuring passenger security.
The RPF, the Government Railway Police, and state police form the three wings of rail security apparatus.
Over the past decades, the departments have been reported to have worked at cross-purposes on account of conflict over powers and responsibilities.
Initiatives taken to bring rail safety under the charge of a single police force have not materialised.
“We are focusing on the need to ensure better coordination between the different agencies for ensuring that sabotage cases do not happen,” said SK Bhagat, RPF director general.
In the past two months, the ministry of home affairs convened two meetings with top officials of RPF and state police to work out a fool-proof mechanism on train safety, with home minister Rajnath Singh chairing one.
After the derailment of eight coaches of the Meerut-lucknow Rajya Rani Express last week, focus in the railways ministry has reverted to the need to employ resources in RPF to guard trains and rail properties.
Security preparedness has also been compromised due to the shortage of staff in RPF. Against its sanctioned strength of 68,000 personnel, currently 12,000 vacancies exist.
In the recent UP elections, 60 companies or around 7,000 personnel were placed on duty. An additional 800 personnel and sniffer dogs have remained deployed for the past months for the RPF Investiture parade that was held on March 21.
Around 8,000 RPF jawans are reportedly posted at the residence of officers.
Of the 12,000 passenger trains plying each day, only 2,500 are guarded by RPF escorts. The GRP guards an additional 2,200 trains.
“The RPF has neither legislative backing nor bench strength for train escort duties or for carrying out core functions. Deployment of RPF constables at residences of officers is a criminal waste of resources. Such functions should be farmed out to private security guards as recommended by the 7th Pay Commission,” said US Jha, general secretary, RPF Association.