J&K govt formation: Mehbooba Mufti writes to governor, claims support of Congress, NC

NEW DELHI: Former chief minister of J&K Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday moved to stake claim to form government in the state and also claimed that all efforts to contact the governor Satya Pal Malik so far have been unsuccessful.

In a letter to governor Malik, Mufti said that Congress and National Conference (NC) had decided to back her party and claimed the support of 56 MLAs.

"You might have gathered from the media reports that the Congress and National Conference have also decided to extend support to our party and National Conference have also decided to extend support to our party to form a government in the state," Mufti wrote.


Mufti tweeted the letter and claimed that the governor has been unreachable despite efforts from her end to contact.

"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 J&K governor," she tweeted.

Since early morning, the state has been at the center of hectic political activity, including several meetings among leaders of the PDP, NC and Congress, aimed at cobbling an alliance to form a new government in the state.

Veteran CPM leader MY Tarigami met NC vice-president Omar Abdullah here to discuss the feasibility of forming a new government by extending support to the Peoples Democratic Party, said a source privy to the development.


The source had indicated the NC is willing to extend support to the PDP for now. However, the party wants an early dissolution of the assembly, kept in suspended animation since imposition of Governor's Rule on June 19, and eventually an election.

"The aim is to pave way for fresh polls in the state so that an elected government takes charge and the political uncertainty due to the Governor's Rule is put to an end," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

He said the developments so far have been moving in the direction of possible formation of a new government in the state in coming days.

A senior Congress leader here said his party, in principle, supports any alliance that will "keep communal forces" at bay.

"We have been working for a grand alliance at the national level and there is no reason why we oppose any such move in the state as the aim is to keep communal forces out," said the leader.

Senior PDP leader and Amira Kadal MLA Altaf Bukhari is tipped to lead the government, if the PDP-NC alliance comes to fruition, according to sources.

The PDP has 28 MLAs, followed by NC's 15 and and the Congress's 12. The three parties together will have majority in the 87-member House. The BJP is the second largest party in the state with 25 members.

Coming together of PDP and NC, the traditional rivals in the state, marks a significant realignment of political forces in Jammu & Kashmir.

The National Conference had offered its support to the PDP after the 2014 assembly polls but the latter had ignored the offer and aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

After the June 19 pull out, People's Conference leader Sajjad Lone is understood to have approached disgruntled PDP leaders to form an alliance with the BJP, the sources said. People Conference has only two MLAs.

Imran Ansari, a former PDP minister, is among those who have been cosying up to the People's Conference.

A former separatist leader, Lone had been successful in breaking away National Conference's chief spokesman Junaid Mattu, who recently contested the urban local body elections and became Mayor of Srinagar.

Muzzafar Beigh, a founder-member of the PDP, on Tuesday held a press conference where he alleged that the PDP "betrayed the workers, denying them a chance to connect with the people, by boycotting the local bodies elections".

(With inputs from PTI)