Have not taken sides: J&K Guv defends dissolving assembly
WAR OF WORDS Satya Pal Malik says he had reports of horse trading between MLAs; NC, PDP, Cong hit back
: Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik on Thursday defended the dissolution of the state assembly on grounds that he didn’t want an “unholy alliance” of opposing political ideologies to assume power by inducing defections, as a bitter war of words raged on between opponents and supporters of his contentious action the night before.
Meanwhile, both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National Conference (NC) came out in support of fresh and early assembly elections to end the political vacuum in India’s most sensitive state.
“I have been saying it since day one of my appointment as governor that I’m not in favour of any government formed in the state with underhand defections and horse trading. I would instead want that elections are held and a selected government rules the state,” said Malik, who was named J&K governor in August.
Malik dissolved the state assembly after Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti staked her claim for forming a new government with the support of arch rival NC and the Congress, five months after the collapse of PDP’s coalition government with the BJP. She claimed the PDP had the support of 56 MLAs, including its own 28 legislators.
JAMMU/SRINAGAR/NEW DELHI
Malik also had to contend with a rival claim by People’s Conference chief Sajjad Lone, who said he had the support of the BJP’s 25 legislators and “more than 18” other members of the 87-member assembly. His party had been counting on the support of PDP dissidents.
“For the past 15 to 20 days, I have been getting reports of large-scale horse trading. MLAs are being threatened and several types of underhanded dealings are going on,” Malik told reporters at Raj Bhawan.
“Mehbooba Ji told me a week before that her MLAs were being threatened through the NIA (National Investigation Agency). Another side said MLAs were being lured with large-scale money. Horse trading had started 20 days ago,” Malik claimed. “Had I given any side an opportunity (for government formation), it would have created more mess. The value system of politics would have been destroyed as has been happening in the rest of the states. I could not afford that.”
The PDP and the NC have both boycotted urban local body and panchayat elections that are representative of grassroots democracy. They buried their differences and came together with the Congress for a shot at government formation to thwart People’s Conference’s expected bid for power with the help of defectors.
“These are those forces who don’t want grassroots democracy and when they felt they were beginning to lose control,