NC MLA Abdul Rahim Rather appointed J-K Assembly Speaker
Seven-time NC MLA Abdul Rahim Rather was on Monday elected as the Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
After concluding his consultations with all major political parties on government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, Governor NN Vohra has forwarded his report to the President of India for imposition of Governor’s Rule under Section 92 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir.
A Raj Bhavan spokesman said Governor Vohra received a letter by fax, jointly signed by state BJP president Ravinder Raina and BJP Legislature Party leader Kavinder Gupta in the afternoon, that informed him of the BJP’s decision to withdraw support to the coalition government.
READ | BJP pulls out of alliance with PDP, J-K CM Mehbooba Mufti resigns
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Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti then tendered her resignation. The Governor has asked her to continue in office till alternative arrangements are made.
During his consultations, Vohra spoke to Kavinder Gupta and Mehbooba Mufti to ascertain whether their respective parties intended to explore alternative alliances to form the government in the state. Both parties replied in the negative. The Governor also spoke to J&K Congress Party president GA Mir, who said his party did not have the numerical strength to form government on its own or in alliance.
READ | Mehbooba Mufti says ‘muscular security policy’ will not work in J-K
Later, NN Vohra met National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah who said there was no alternative to Governor’s rule and elections.
Keeping in view the reluctance of all parties to stake their claim to form the government, Vohra has forwarded his report to President Ram Nath Kovind.
This is for the eighth time that central rule is being imposed in J&K.
READ | Opposition slams BJP, PDP says decision a surprise
Earlier in the day, the three-year-old BJP-PDP government in Jammu and Kashmir collapsed after BJP pulled out of its alliance with the PDP. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who resigned soon after the announcement, said her party would not enter into any other alliance to stay in the government, and that “muscular security policy” would not work in J-K.
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