In a sudden development, the Jammu and Kashmir Governor late on November 21 dissolved the State Assembly, which has been in suspended animation, shortly after rival alliances staked claim to form the government.

Governor’s rule was clamped in J&K on June 19 for a six-month period following the collapse of the PDP-BJP coalition government after the saffron party withdrew support. The State Assembly was also kept in suspended animation so that political parties could explore the possibility of forming a new government.

The decision by Governor Satya Pal Malik to dissolve the State assembly under the relevant provisions in the State Constitution was announced in an official communique. The state is now headed for another spell of central rule beyond December 18 when the Governor’s rule comes to an end.

J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik’s communique announcing the dissolution of the State Assembly on November 21, 2018. Photo: Special Arrangement  

Earlier, former Chief Minister and PDP patron Mehbooba Mufti staked the claim to form a government with the support of the Congress and the National Conference.

Shortly thereafter, People’s Conference leader Sajad Lone also staked claim to form the government with the help of the 25-member BJP.

J&K party position

According to the information available on the J&K Assembly website, the PDP has 28 legislators in the 87-member Assembly. The Congress has 12, the NC 15 and the BJP 25.

"J&K needs firm administration"

The BJP twitter handle tweeted saying, "The proposed alliance between the INC and the PDP broke up even before it was formed. They have taken contradictory positions on dissolution. One supports it and the other opposes it. Keeping the security scenario of J&K in mind, can it afford horse-trading and instability?"

It also added that the state needed a "firm administration".

"J&K needs a firm administration to deal with terrorism and not a combination of terror-friendly parties. The best option in such a scenario is to go in for a fresh election at the earliest. This assembly cannot produce a stable government," the political party's official handle tweeted.

"Thought I had seen it all"

Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti tweeted that she would like to express her gratitude to Omar Abdullah and Ambika Soni. "In my twenty six year old career as a politician, I thought I had seen it all! But like they say never say never! Nevertheless, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to @OmarAbdullah and @Ambikasoni4 ji for helping us achieve the seemingly impossible," she tweeted.

She also said the "very idea of a grand coalition" gave the Centre "jitters".

"Since the past five months, regardless of political affiliations, we shared the view that the state assembly be dissolved immediately to avert horse trading & defections. Oddly enough our pleas fell on deaf ears. But who would have thought that the very idea of a grand coalition would give such jitters," she tweeted.

Mr. Abdullah, replying to Ms. Mufti said politics was "truly a strange world".

"And I never thought I’d be retweeting anything you said while agreeing with you. Politics truly is a strange world. Good luck for the battle ahead. Once again the wisdom of the people will prevail," he tweeted.

Model Code of Conduct

The Election Commission will examine whether the model code of conduct can be imposed in Jammu and Kashmir even before fresh elections are announced there, PTI reports a senior official as saying.

The poll panel had recently decided that in states where assemblies are dissolved prematurely, the model code will come into force immediately. The poll code, which bars the caretaker government and the party in power from taking policy decisions, otherwise comes into force the day polls are announced by the EC.

Telangana was the first state where the model code of conduct had come into effect before the assembly polls were announced.

“Model code was imposed there (Telangana) as the elected government had dissolved the assembly. Here (Jammu and Kashmir), the case is different. Here the assembly could have been dissolved out of compulsion... There was no government ... We will examine in the coming days whether the model code can be imposed in Jammu and Kashmir, too,” the functionary explained.

Fax machine mishap

Both parties tweeted out their intention to form the government, after the fax machine at the Raj Bhavan was reportedly not working.

“Have been trying to send this letter to Rajbhavan. Strangely the fax is not received. Tried to contact HE Governor on phone. Not available. Hope you see it, @jandkgovernor,” Ms. Mufti tweeted.

“Sending the letter also by mail,” Ms. Mufti added in another tweet.

Lone's claim

"We have sent a letter to His Excellency the Governor staking our claim to form the government. Fax not working. We have whatsapped it to the PA to his excellency. @jandkgovernor," tweeted Mr. Lone.

In a letter to Mr. Malik, Mr. Lone, whose party has two MLAs, including himself, said he has the support of more than required number of legislators in the assembly to form a government.

“Following our telephonic conversation regarding government formation in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, I hereby formally stake claim for the government formation in the State with the support of the BJP and more than 18 other elected members of the J&K state legislature...,” he said.

Mr. Lone said he would submit the letter of support from the BJP legislature party and other members supporting the government headed by him as and when asked to do so.

“I assure your excellence that with the support I have from the BJP and other members of state legislature, I will form a strong and politically stable government for restoring peace, harmony and prosperity in the state and would work towards overall development in all three regions of the state,” Mr. Lone said.

Offer of support

Earlier in the evening, our correspondent Peerzada Ashiq reported that J&K Congress chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir had offered support to the National Conference (NC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to form a unity government in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The Congress is ready to support both the PDP and the NC if they are willing to form a government. Both the PDP and the NC have held talks on the subject of government formation. These talks are informal and hopefully these parties will conduct formal talks now,” said Mr. Mir.

The development comes just a day after senior PDP leader and Lok Sabha member Muzaffar Hussian Baigh publicly offered support to a third front headed by People's Conference (PC) chief Sajad Lone and backed by the BJP.

Suspended animation

Governor Satya Pal Malik decided to keep the Assembly in suspended animation and advocated against its dissolution, our correspondent Peerzada Ashiq reported earlier in the day.

The BJP withdrew its support to the Mehbooba Mufti government in July last, paving the way for the Governor’s rule.

“Yes, the NC and the PDP are talking to each other. The option of forming a government is on the table,” a senior PDP leader told The Hindu.

Senior NC leader Nasir Aslam Wani also confirmed that the two parties “were talking to each other.”

Mr. Lone, who has two MLAs, was also working on cobbling together numbers to stake claim for government formation. BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav recently came to Srinagar to congratulate the PC’s performance in the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) polls. The PC succeeded in installing its own Mayor in Srinagar with the help of 40 councillors out of 74.

(With inputs from PTI)