J-K assembly dissolved amid Mehbooba, BJP-backed Sajad Lone’s claims to form government

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the state assembly on Wednesday evening. Shortly before the news came in, Mehbooba Mufti of the People’s Democratic Party and BJP ally Sajad Lone of the People’s Conference made rival claims to form government.

Governor Malik made a short announcement saying he was exercising powers conferred on him by the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution to dissolve the House, which had two more years to go.

Not long before that, Mehbooba announced she was tying up with arch-rival National Conference and the Congress. She tweeted a letter addressed to the Governor and said, “Have been trying to send this letter to Rajbhavan. Strangely the fax is not received. Tried to contact HE Governor on phone. Not available. Hope you see it @jandkgovernor.”

The letter said she had the support of 56 of Jammu and Kashmir’s 87 legislators, including the National Conference’s 15 MLAs and the Congress’s 12. The PDP is the state’s largest party with 29 MLAs. A party or alliance needs 44 for majority in J&K.

Mehbooba said in her letter that as she was away in Srinagar, she was unable to meet the Governor in Jammu immediately, but would shortly stake claim to form government.

Sajad Lone too tweeted his letter to the governor, in which he claimed that he had the support of 18 MLAs apart from the BJP’s 25 and two from his People’s Conference. More than majority, he said.

There were reports that Lone and the BJP were in touch with rebels from Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP and her move to stake claim to form government this evening was seen as an attempt to scuttle those plans.

“It can’t be a coincidence that within minutes of @MehboobaMufti letter staking claim, the order to dissolve the assembly suddenly appears,” tweeted Omar Abdullah, who heads the National Conference.

Mehbooba Mufti had stepped down as Chief Minister and the state came under governor’s rule in June, after the BJP withdrew support. The two parties had tied up to form government in 2015, after assembly elections threw up a hung verdict with the PDP getting the most seats and the BJP coming in at number 2 with 25.

The six-month Governor’s rule ends next month, which will be followed by President’s rule if no government is formed.