Her rare attempt to ally with arch rival Omar Abdullah’s National Conference to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir might have failed, but it had an impact. Thanking Abdullah and Congress’s Ambika Soni for helping achieve the “seemingly impossible”, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said “the very idea of a grand coalition” had given jitters, in a sharp jibe at her former coalition partner BJP.

Governor Satya Pal Malik ordered to dissolve the state assembly minutes after she had staked claim to form the government with the support of NC and Congress.

The PDP had 28 members in the assembly, the NC 15 and the Congress 12. The bloc had the support of one independent MLA as well.

The assembly had been kept in suspended animation since June when governor’s rule was imposed on the state after the BJP broke the four-year-old coalition and withdrew support to PDP-led government.

Mufti said she thought she had seen it all in her 26-year political career. “But like they said never say never,” she tweeted.

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

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. 2/4

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) November 21, 2018

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. 3/4

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) November 21, 2018

Responding to her, Omar Abdullah said he never thought he had be re-tweeting anything Mufti 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 said.

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

Abdullah also hit out at the BJP, saying it can’t be a coincidence that within minutes of Mehbooba Mufti staking claim, the order to dissolve the assembly suddenly appears.

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

The PDP and NC leaders said they had been pressing for assembly dissolution for the last five months, but their pleas fell on deaf ears”.

First Published: Nov 22, 2018 01:19 IST