“Governor’s rule has been imposed in the state of Jammu and Kashmir,” a Home Ministry spokesperson said in Delhi.
The President cleared the recommendation of the Union Home Ministry for imposing Governor’s rule on the basis of a recommendation from J&K Governor N N Vohra.
The state had to be put under Governor’s rule in view of the reluctance of Mufti’s daughter Mehbooba to take oath during the mourning period though her party has already conveyed to the Governor that 28 MLAs of the PDP legislature party backed her for the Chief Ministership.
79-year-old Sayeed died on Thursday after a brief illness and since then there is a Constitutional vacuum.
PDP’s coalition ally BJP has also indicated that it would take a decision on new government formation once the four-day morning period is over on Sunday. However, both PDP and BJP dismissed speculations about any differences or new conditions between them over formation of new government.
Senior PDP leader and former Education Minister Naeem Akhtar also dismissed suggestions about any conditions set by either his party or the BJP for forming the new government.
However, according to party insiders, the BJP is sticking to its three-year CM term formula for both the parties, which is being not accepted by the PDP. “It’s not a new condition as the BJP had made it very clear at the time of consultation with Mufti Sayeed when the former J&K CM had dropped his daughter’s name for the top post. The party had agreed for the complete six-year CM tenure only in the name of Sayeed,” a party insider said, adding that Sayeed had agreed to become the Chief Minister after the BJP refused to put aside its three-year CM clause for Mehbooba.
However, party sources further said that PDP is pushing hard for the full CM tenure arrangement that it had when Sayeed was at the helm of affairs in the state. The sources also added that the PDP has submitted a letter to the Governor mentioning Mehbooba as party leader, while BJP has not yet submitted any letter in this regard, which is a must in alliance government. BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav met with Mehbooba and expressed the party’s view over the issue.
“We had some discussions over the future of the government but I will not be able to share more details about these deliberations right now,” said Madhav soon after his crucial meeting.