BJP was cornered
A high voltage political drama saw the dissolution of Jammu and Kashmir assembly on Wednesday when the turn of events was so fast that the Governor or the central leadership in Delhi could not comprehend what actually was happening.
The development came after both PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and PC chief Sajjad Gani Lone, through separate letters, staked claim for forming government in the State. Though Sajjad Lone’s writing to the Governor makes little sense, owing to the fact that he never had the numbers, but the letter addressed to the Governor by PDP President Mehbooba Mufti caught the Governor on the wrong foot.
The day New Delhi appointed Satya Pal Malik as the Governor of the state, he right from the very first day kept on repeating that the assembly should not be dissolved as it will deprive the people of the development, that otherwise was lacking in the state.
However, the BJP’s hobnobbing with some rebel legislators from PDP and their new point man in Kashmir, Sajjad Lone gave BJP leaders a hope that they can form the government in the state on their own. This assertion by Lone made BJP believe that their dream of capturing a muslim majority Jammu and Kashmir can turn into a reality.
Besides, Sajjad’s dream of making it to the CM’s post, though his party has just two members in the 87 member house, was so ambitious that the BJP leadership were made to believe that this go-getting proposal will actually work on ground.
This over ambitious outlook has caused the BJP to face an embarrassing situation which has cost them dearly at the local as well as the national level. The united opposition in Jammu and Kashmir, though having lost their footing in their very home state, has been brimming with optimism that the centre’s move of keeping them at bay while forming the government will help them to reestablish a connect with the people here.
The centre’s move of not allowing to take over the government by the non-BJP parties in Jammu and Kashmir has given National Conference, Congress and the PDP enough ammunition to fire their salvos towards the BJP and while doing so they can realign themselves in the multicolored political canvass in Jammu and Kashmir.
BJP for the time being had to contend with the fact that it kept the non-BJP parties at bay, but in the end it has emerged as a loser as it gave way to the demands of the three parties, NC, Congress and the PDP which were in favor of dissolution of the state assembly.
While Mehbooba Mufti had recommended dissolving the assembly and paving way for the fresh elections when she handed over her resignation letter to the Governor while relinquishing her office as Chief Minister in June, the centre wanted to keep an option open for future realignments, which however, failed to materialize.
KV Network
