Neeraj Rohmetra
JAMMU, Jan 7: Amid delay in formation of new Government in Jammu and Kashmir and deadline of January 19 for imposition of Governor’s Rule approaching if new dispensation doesn’t come into force by then, Governor NN Vohra today called on Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami in New Delhi to discuss latest political development in the State with him.
In another significant development, caretaker Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who had resigned on December 24, a day after his party-the National Conference recorded worst ever performance in Assembly elections with just 15 seats, also met Vohra in New Delhi on his return from London, and discussed later political situation with him.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Vohra inter-acted with Goswami on the discussions he had with PDP and BJP leaders here on December 31 and January 1 respectively, who had met him on his invite, and possibility of imposition of Governor’s Rule in the State if the political parties didn’t come forward for formation of new Government till January 19.
January 19 is deadline for formation of new Government in the State. However, if no Government is formed by then, the State has to be brought under the spell of Governor Rule and Assembly kept under suspended animation till political parties approach the Governor with magic figure of 44 to form the Government.
After meeting Vohra in New Delhi and briefing him on NC’s stand on the Government formation, Omar reached Srinagar.
Sources said the Governor Rule can be imposed even earlier than the deadline of January 19 if the political parties didn’t come forward for formation of the Government as the State was suffering governance crisis and was facing acute financial problems as there was Model Code of Conduct in view of Assembly elections for over two months followed by over a fortnight of political uncertainty in the Government formation due to fractured mandate in the Assembly elections with no single party even reaching close to simple majority mark of 44 in the House of 87.
Repeated discussions between PDP and BJP or with anyone else have not yielded fruit even as the tenure of the outgoing Assembly comes to an end on January 19.
Meanwhile, BJP President Amit Shah expressed optimism in Bhubaneshwar about early resolution of the impasse saying his party was in the process of holding negotiations.
“No decision has been taken on Jammu and Kashmir so far, but negotiations are on and a clear picture on Government formation will emerge soon,” he said.
PDP’s chief spokesperson Naeem Akhthar said in Srinagar that all options for the party were still open. “We are only carrying out internal party discussion on Government formation and nothing more,” he said.
Asked about media reports that some of the PDP MLAs had been threatened from across the border, Akhthar said “none of the party MLAs has reported the matter to the party high command and, therefore, its not possible for me to comment on this.”
With separatists including hardline separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani upping their ante on a possible alliance with BJP, valley-based political parties, especially PDP, is finding it difficult as its majority of votes comes from the strongholds of Jammat-e-Islamia, a constituent of Geelani-led Hurriyat.
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