Governor's rule imposed in J&K as BJP, PDP fail to form government

Jammu/New Delhi: Governor's rule was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday with the PDP, which emerged as the single-largest party, and BJP failing to cobble up the required number to form the government, triggering a blame game among political parties.

The decision came a day after Governor NN Vohra submitted his report to President Pranab Mukherjee, stating that Omar Abdullah had requested to be relieved of the post of being a caretaker Chief Minister.

The Governor's report contained some suggestions including the option of a spell of Governor's rule in the wake of no party getting the number required to form a government after the highly-fractured verdict in the Assembly elections, official sources said here.

After the election results were out on December 23, neither the PDP which emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats nor the BJP with 25 could get the magic figure of 44 to stake claim to form a government. NC has 15 MLAs while the Congress 12.

A blame game erupted on Friday with Omar squarely blaming PDP patron Mufti Mohammed Sayeed for bringing the state under Governor's rule and accusing him of continuing the deadlock over government formation to get a full six-year term as Chief Minister.

PDP hit back at Omar, saying there was time till January 19 to form the government and he had forced the present situation on the state.

In the midst of this spat, BJP president Amit Shah said in Vijayawada that his party was in talks with both the PDP and the NC to form the next government in the state. "Our talks are going on with the two parties in Kashmir...We are trying to form a BJP government in the state," he said.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had on Thursday night forwarded the Governor's report to the Prime Minister's Office. Governor's rule was imposed in the state under Section 92 of Jammu and Kashmir Constitution which allows the Governor to proclaim it in case of failure of Constitutional machinery in the state.

President Pranab Mukherjee is understood to have given his concurrence for Governor's rule which has been imposed in the state for the sixth time since 1977.

Omar had said the state needed a full-time administrator to deal with the situation along the border with Pakistan and providing relief to flood-affected people in the Kashmir Valley. He was asked to continue as caretaker Chief Minister on December 24 after his resignation in the wake of defeat of his party.