From 1977 to date, Jammu and Kashmir has seen Governor’s rule for a total of eight times, of which three have been under N.N. Vohra.

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir was placed under Governor’s rule yet again Wednesday, a day after the BJP pulled out from the PDP-led coalition government.

N.N. Vohra, former interlocutor in Kashmir and governor of the state since 2008, is the man who will take charge during this time of crisis, and he is probably the best bet given his vast experience, spanning 10 years in the state.

The state has seen seven stints of Governor’s rule, three of which have been during Vohra’s tenure.

26 March – 9 July 1977

The state came under Governor’s rule for a period of 105 days under L.K. Jha. It was the first time that Governor’s rule was imposed in the state after the Congress withdrew support to the Sheikh Abdullah’s National Conference-led coalition government.

6 March – 7 November 1986

The state came under Governor’s rule for 246 days, this time under Jagmohan Malhotra.

Abdullah’s son-in-law Ghulam Muhammad Shah overthrew the government headed by his son Farooq Abdullah with the help of 26 Congress MLAs and 12 NC defectors in 1986. Congress eventually withdrew its support to Shah, paving the way for Governor’s rule.

19 January 1990 – 9 October 1996

This was the longest spell of Governor’s rule in the state — 6 years and 264 days. This time too Malhotra was Governor.

Due to the breakout of large-scale armed conflict in the region at the time, elections could not be held for years and Governor’s rule became the only available option.

18 October -2 November 2002

For a brief period of 15 days this time, the state was placed under governor G.C Saxena’s rule.

Trouble stemmed from the PDP and the Congress’ inability to form a government quickly. The government was eventually formed on 2 November.

11 July 2008 – 5 January 2009

J&K was placed under Governor Vohra’s rule for the first time for a period of 178 days following the breakdown of the Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad-led coalition government.

The PDP had withdrawn support to the Azad government after the Amarnath land transfer controversy.

9 January – 1 March 2015   

After election results on 23 December 2014, threw up a hung assembly, Omar Abdullah, the caretaker chief minister, asked to be relieved from his duties on 7 January 2015 and the state was placed under Vohra’s rule for 51 days.

8 January 2016 – 4 April 2016

Jammu and Kashmir was placed under Vohra’s rule for the third time for a period of 87 days.

The death of CM Mufti Mohammed Sayeed led to the promulgation of the Governor’s Rule on 8 January for the seventh time.

The BJP-PDP government deferred forming the government until after the mourning period for Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.

In any other Indian state, the central government takes direct control of the state machinery in the case of suspension of the government. However, in J&K, failure of the government results in Governor’s rule, which is imposed by invoking Section 92 of the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir.