With Jammu and Kashmir set to be brought under fresh spell of Governor’s rule, this will be for the third time when the State would have the Governor rule due to contradictions within the PDP-BJP, fourth time during the tenure of Governor NN Vohra and eighth time in the last four decades.
While results of 2014 Assembly elections were declared on December 23, 2014, the PDP-BJP formed the new Government on March 1, 2015. In between, Omar Abdullah had refused to continue as caretaker Chief Minister on January 7, 2015, leading to imposition of Governor’s rule in the State from January 7 to March 1, 2015 when Mufti Sayeed was sworn-in as the Chief Minister.
After the sudden death of Mufti Sayeed on January 7, 2016, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti refused to take reigns of the State immediately and J&K was again brought under the Governor’s rule, which continued till April 4, 2016 when Mehbooba took over as the Chief Minister.
With BJP today withdrawing support to the PDP, the State has again headed for the Governor’s rule.
Governor’s rule was imposed for the first time on March 26, 1977 during the tenure of Governor L K Jha after State Congress — then headed by Sayeed — withdrew support to the minority Government of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah of National Conference. Sheikh had come to the power following an accord with then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975.
The Governor’s rule lasted 105 days and ended as the National Conference founder returned to power in the Assembly polls.
Governor’s rule was imposed for the second time in March 1986 after State Congress — again headed by Sayeed — withdrew support to the minority Government of Ghulam Mohammad Shah.
Shah became the Chief Minister after he led a rebellion with National Conference against his brother-in-law and then incumbent Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah in 1984.
This 246-day spell ended after Farooq Abdullah entered into an accord of his own with the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
The third time Governor’s rule was imposed in January 1990 when Farooq Abdullah resigned as the Chief Minister over the appointment of Jagmohan as the Governor following eruption of militancy in the State.
Sayeed was the Union Home Minister at that time and had brushed aside Farooq Abdullah’s opposition to Jagmohan’s appointment. This was the longest spell of Governor’s rule — six years and 264 days — which ended in October 1996 after National Conference returned to power in Assembly elections held after a gap of nine-and-a-half years.
Six years later, Governor’s rule had to be imposed in the State for the fourth time in October 2002 after caretaker Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah refused to continue in the office in the wake of his party’s defeat in the Assembly elections that year. The 2002 Assembly polls threw up a hung Assembly with no party in a position to form a Government on its own.
Sayeed, whose regional PDP had won 16 seats, negotiated an alliance with the Congress and dozen-odd independents to form the Government, ending the 15-day direct Central rule on March 1, when Sayeed was sworn in as the Chief Minister.
It was the shortest spell of Governor’s rule — 15 days — as the PDP and Congress with support of 12 independents formed a Government on November 2.
Governor’s rule was imposed in the State for the fifth time for 174 days after the PDP withdrew support to Ghulam Nabi Azad-led Congress-PDP coalition Government in 2008.
The PDP withdrew support to the Government on June 28, 2008 following widespread protests during the Amarnath land row agitation that pitted Hindu-dominated Jammu region against the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley.
Azad was to seek a vote of confidence in the Legislative Assembly on July 7 but chose to resign instead. The Central rule came to an end on January 5, 2009 after NC leader Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the youngest Chief Minister of the State. It was for the first time that Governor’s rule was imposed during the tenure of Vohra.
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