J&K Political Crisis LIVE Updates: Amid Mufti's Claim of Letters of Support, Congress' Azad Says No Final Decision Was Taken

Omar Abdullah will address the press tomorrow in the noon at the party's headquater 'Nawa-e-Subah' in summer capital Srinagar.

The BJP said the best option in Jammu and Kashmir is to have fresh assembly polls at the earliest as it slammed the proposed alliance of opposition parties as a "combination of terror-friendly parties".  The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on Twitter, soon after the state governor dissolved the assembly amid claims by rival formations on forming a government, that the border state cannot afford horse-trading and instability keeping its security scenario in mind.

BJP's J&K unit has welcomed the Governor's decision to dissolve the Assembly.  

BJP welcomes the decision taken by the J&K Governor. Once again, NC, Congress & PDP hatched a conspiracy in Jammu & Kashmir that would have done injustice to Jammu and Ladakh. Will they form alliance before elections?: BJP State president Ravinder Raina on J&K assembly dissolved pic.twitter.com/0RxpoeWguy

— ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2018

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has said Congress was not interested in forming the government. This was just a suggestion which was being discussed. He also said that neither Congress nor NC has given no letter of support to Mehbooba Mufti.

After having failed to fax letter claiming numbers for the government formation in Jammu and Kashmir to Raj Bhavan, Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti took to Twitter to post the letter and hoped the Governor would be able to see it.

On Tuesday, senior PDP leader Muzaffar Baig announced that he would be joining the "third-front" led by Sajjad Gani Lone. He said that Lone was like his "son" and his party People's Conference was "home" to him. He accused the PDP of side-lining him.  

Best option in Jammu and Kashmir is to go for fresh election at earliest as current assembly cannot produce a stable government, the BJP said after the Governor dissolved the Assembly.

The decision to dissolve the Assembly was taken by the Governor as both claims by PDP and Sajjad Lone were not found strong enough to convince him, sources from the Raj Bhawan told news18. 

The dissolution of the assembly, which was in suspended animation since June 19, marked the culmination of a day-long high-voltage political drama in which People's Democratic Party(PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti wrote to governor that her party, which has 29 MLAs, backed by the National Conference and the Congress with 15 and 12 legislators respectively intended to stake claim for formation of the government. The collective strength of the three parties was 56, well above the required number of 44 for a majority in the 87-member assembly, Mehbooba, a former chief minister, said.

The Jammu and Kashmir assembly was abruptly dissolved by the Governor Wednesday night soon after the PDP staked claim to form a government with the backing of rival National Conference and the Congress followed by another bid from the two-member People's Conference which claimed the support of the BJP and 18 legislators from other parties. The dissolution was announced by Governor Satyapal Malik in a communique released by the Raj Bhavan.

Taking a jibe at the newly formed grand alliance in J&K, the BJP termed them as "terror-friendly parties" and  said the state needs a "firm administration to deal with the situation there.  

The erstwhile arch rivals NC and PDP seem to be agreeing with each other after the PDP staked claim with NC and Congress on its side, soon after which the Assembly was dissolved.  

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. https://t.co/OcN9uRje1s

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) November 21, 2018

The BJP has said that keeping in mind the security scenario in J&K, the state needs a firm administration. 

J&K needs a firm administration to deal with terrorism and not a combination of terror-friendly parties.

— BJP (@BJP4India) November 21, 2018

The poll panel had recently decided that in states where assemblies are dissolved prematurely, the model code will come into force immediately.

The Trinamool Congress criticised the sudden dissolution of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly on Wednesday night and accused the BJP of having no respect for the constitution. Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik dissolved the state assembly, which has been in suspended animation, shortly after rival alliances staked claim to form the government.

"By dissolving J&K Assembly Governor chooses to serve his Master’s in BJP rather then serve the Constitution.Dissolving J&K Assembly in unconstutional manner is totally murder of democracy," said Congress leader Usman Majid.

Earlier in the day, former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta alleged that the alliance between Congress, NC and PDP was being formed at the behest of Pakistan.  “These three parties are joining hands to form a government in the state at Pakistan’s directions to keep the BJP away (from power),” he said while addressing the media in Jammu.  

Mehbooba also said that it was "strange" that the Governor's office did not receive her letter via fax, but the letter for dissolution was issued "swiftly".  

PS - In todays age of technology, it is very strange that the fax machine at HE Governor’s residence didn’t receive our fax but swiftly issued one regarding the assembly dissolution. 🤔4/4

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) November 21, 2018

"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," Mehbooba Mufti said, echoing with Omar Abdullah who earlier said that the dissolution of the Assembly at this point is not a coincidence.    

Soon after the Governor dissolved the Assembly, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti took to Twitter to express her shock over  the decision.  

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. 1/4

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) November 21, 2018

Possibility of Model Code of Conduct | 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. 

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, a senior official said Wednesday after the governor dissolved the state assembly. The poll panel had recently decided that in states where assemblies are dissolved prematurely, the model code will come into force immediately.

A popular government headed by the Peoples Democratic Party's Mehbooba Mufti fell when its partner BJP pulled out of the ruling coalition on June 16.

Terming the dissolution of the Assembly as undemocratic and unconstitutional", Congress leader Saifuddin Soz said that Mehbooba Mufti should move court against the Governor's decision. "Mehbooba Mufti wrote to Governor only after Congress & NC supported PDP & Guv should've given her a chance," he added.

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. In a letter to the Governor, Mehbooba said the PDP is the largest party in the state assembly having a strength of 29 MLAs.

The decision by Governor Satyapal 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.

In a sudden development, the Jammu and Kashmir Governor tonight 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 and K on June 19 for a 6-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.

JKNC has been pressing for assembly dissolution for 5 months now, former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah has said.  "It can’t be a coincidence that within minutes of Mehbooba Mufti Sahiba letter staking claim the order to dissolve the assembly suddenly appears," Abdullah added.  

JKNC has been pressing for assembly dissolution for 5 months now. It can’t be a coincidence that within minutes of Mehbooba Mufti Sahiba letter staking claim the order to dissolve the assembly suddenly appears.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) November 21, 2018

Meanwhile, the BJP has called an urgent meeting of its MLAs at its headquarters in Jammu tomorrow morning.  

Sources have said that J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik had apprised center of the situation in Kashmir before dissolving assembly.