Governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir can not be extended after it completes its six-month period on December 19.
Agencies
New Delhi, November 21:
With an aim to deny the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) any chance of returning to power, rival parties in Jammu and Kashmir are said to be in talks to join hands to form the government. According to sources, Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP, the Congress and the National Conference are in touch with each other to form a coalition government in the region, which has been under Governor’s rule since BJP pulled out of the ruling coalition with PDP on June 16.
Governor’s rule can not be extended after it completes its six-month period on December 19. It is proposed to impose President’s rule thereafter but the 87-member Assembly is not being dissolved, according to Governor Satyapal Mallik.
Political circles have been agog with speculation that behind the scene efforts were underway to prop up a government headed by Sajjad Lone’s People Conference, which has only two MLAs but which would be banking on support by the 25 MLAs of BJP. However, this combination would fall short of the required majority of 44 which is sought to be made by splitting the PDP which has been rocked by dissidence.
The sources said that in order to checkmate such efforts to prop up another BJP-backed government, mainstream parties such as the Congress, PDP and the National Conference are in touch to form a government.
The plan envisages a coalition between PDP and Congress, which have been partners in a government between 2002 to 2007, backed from outside by the National Conference. The PDP has 28 MLAs, followed by NC with 15 and Congress with 12 which will make up for a clear majority.
The National Conference sources made it clear that they were not interested in joining a coalition government but would not be averse to giving outside support to a PDP-Congress coalition.
If such an arrangement comes about, Mehbooba Mufti is unlikely to be the chief minister but the government may be headed by a senior PDP leader.
Coming together of traditionally bitter rivals, the PDP and the NC, would mark a significant realignment of political forces in the state. The National Conference had offered its support to the PDP after the 2014 assembly polls but the latter ignored the offer and aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
After the June 16 pull-out, Lone is understood to have been approaching disgruntled PDP leaders for forming an alliance with the BJP, the sources said.
