Neeraj Rohmetra
JAMMU, Jan 8: With political parties failing to cobble an alliance for government formation, Governor, N N Vohra has submitted a report to the Centre, recommending the imposition of Governor’s Rule in Jammu and Kashmir.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has sent Vohra’s report recommending Governor’s Rule in the State to the Prime Minister’s Office, sources said.
Singh has forwarded the report along with his comments, the sources said.
Governor’s rule can be recommended either by the Union Cabinet or the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs.
Reliable sources told EXCELSIOR that, “Mr Vohra submitted the report to the President, Pranab Mukherjee today evening after the political parties failed to break ice for Government formation” adding, “in addition to recommendation of Governor Rule, Mr Vohra has also given more options including holding fresh consultation with all the stakeholders including PDP, BJP, NC and Congress”, sources remarked.
Sources said the political impasse had intensified further yesterday, when the caretaker Chief Minister urged the Governor to relieve him.
Omar told Vohra, “the interests of the State will be served only by a full time administrator to handle the situation on border with Pakistan and also to provide the required succour to the flood-affected areas of the State”.
“Such situation can’t be handled by a caretaker, who has no mandate to govern. The situation on the border with 10,000 displaced persons and the hardships of winter and the continuing need for relief for flood affected areas demands a full-time administrator”, said Mr Omar, who will be returning to the Srinagar tomorrow from New Delhi.
Omar met state Governor N N Vohra in Delhi last night soon after his return from London after a 12-day visit to his ailing parents and conveyed to him his request. Vohra will be returning here tomorrow from New Delhi.
Corroborating his meeting, Mr Omar tweeted today evening, “Just to confirm I did meet Governor Vohra last night and asked him to relieve me as caretaker CM. I had agreed to stay temporarily”.
“I had assumed Government formation would be matter of week or 10 days. Today we seem even further away from that goal than we were 10 days ago”, he wrote in series of tweets.
Hitting out at arch-rival PDP for their failure to participate in the “grand alliance” formulae, Omar said, “it is for the PDP to explain that why with 28 MLAs and offer of support from two other parties (Congress, NC), why the State has Central Rule”. Both Congress and National Conference had offered unconditional support to PDP to form a “grand alliance” to rule the State.
While the new Government is required to be constituted before January 19, none of the political parties has been able to cobble alliance for Government formation and the political stalment continued even a fortnight after the declaration of results.
After the state delivered fractured mandate, BJP has been holding back-channel parleys with both PDP and NC for Government formation but nothing concrete had emerged on ground. PDP had emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats followed by BJP with 25 seats in the 87-member House. NC had won 15 seats, while Congress 12.
Pertinently, Omar was asked by the Governor to continue as caretaker Chief Minister on December 24 last year, when the latter submitted his resignation after declaration of results of Assembly polls.
Amid delay in formation of new Government in Jammu and Kashmir, Governor NN Vohra had also yesterday called on Union Home Secretary, Anil Goswami in New Delhi to apprise him of the latest political development in the State with him.
Vohra had briefed Goswami on the discussions he had with PDP and BJP leaders here on December 31 last and January 1 respectively, who had met him on his invite. The duo had also discussed the possibility of imposition of Governor’s Rule in the State.
JKPCC (I) chief, Saif-ud-Din Soz had also interacted with the Governor on January 1.
Reacting to the development, PDP chief spokesman Nayeen Akhtar said, “Omar Abdullah’s move has pushed the State towards Governor Rule, while PDP was making continuous efforts to give a stable and an effective Government”, adding, “despite the fractured verdict, we will continue with efforts to constitute a Government, which can best serve the interests of the State”.
JKPCC (I) chief, Saif-ud-Din Soz, while reacting to the development said, “I would urge Omar Abdullah not to press for his resignation as this move would create a constitutional difficulty for the Governor. He should wait till the on-going political impasse is resolved, in the best interest of people of State”.
History seemed to be repeating itself, as after the 2002 Assembly elections, the State also had a spell of Governor Rule after the then caretaker Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah had refused to continue in office after fractured verdict.
After the State delivered a fractured mandate, Farooq Abdullah had also served as caretaker Chief Minister for 10 days after the announcement of election results on October 8, 2002. However, he had refused to continue as caretaker Chief Minister on October 17, despite requests from the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the then Deputy Prime Minister, L K Advani.
Farooq’s decision resulted in a constitutional crisis leaving the then Governor, Girish Chander Saxena with no option but to impose Governor Rule.
With the result, the then Governor Saxena had to impose Governor’s Rule in the State. The Governor Rule came to an end on October 26, 2002 after the PDP and Congress agreed to form a coalition Government, with Mufti Mohamamd Sayeed as Chief Minister on a rotational basis for the first three years.
The Governor Rule in the State is imposed under Article 92 of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution of 1957 that is equivalent to the Article 356 of the Indian Constitution, which provides for President’s rule to be imposed on State under certain conditions.
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