Page 10 - 15DEC2018E

POLITICS

In J&K House dissolution, install Sajad Lone as the Chief Minister. paved way for the Assembly elections prevent the formation of a government

in the state. As of now Jammu and
constituted of the defecting MLAs. This
“Therefore, I ended up the matter. Who-
soever wants to say anything, can do so Kashmir is busy holding the panchayat has been achieved,” says the political
ad hoc grand alliance now but I am convinced that whatever polls. Municipal elections which were commentator Naseer Ahmad. “There
I did, was right,” Malik said in his
is no political imperative for them to
held earlier were largely boycotted but
address after noted journalist Ravish
the panchayat polls have witnessed a
remain together”.
On the contrary, there is much to
Kumar referred to faulty fax machine
reasonable participation of the people.
has the last laugh in his speech. It is now likely that the Assembly polls lose. The NC fears its alliance with the
would be held together with the parlia-
The Governor talked of the possibil-
PDP in the polls would work to its detri-
ity of the horse-trading and the money
ment election next year. Even the BJP
ment. The PDP’s coalition with the BJP
exchanging hands if he had allowed ei-
the Assembly elections in Jammu and
ther of the competitive bids for power has supported this idea. “We wish that and the killings and blindings of people
under its watch in 2016 have discred-
ovember 21 was a day of The high-voltage political drama of dissolution of the Assembly to succeed. Kashmir should be conducted along ited the party to an extent where no
hectic political high drama Malik draws a picture of an interest- with the Parliament elections,” BJP Kashmir based party wants to be seen
in the Valley with the PDP, has paved way for elections in the state, which is now busy holding ing triangular tussle and coordination State president Ravinder Raina said as its ally. This much was even admit-
NC and the Congress join- panchayat polls, writes RIYAZ WANI among three power centres about who after Governor dissolved the house. ted by Mehbooba’s one-day ally Omar
N ing hands to form the new should rule the state - central govern- This leaves Lone on his own. And the Abdullah during his press conference
government in Jammu and Kashmir. rity forces which according to him, a such explanations. ment, Governor and the political par- other parties too. The post dissolution after the dissolution of Assembly. “I was
The ball was set rolling by the previ- coalition government couldn’t provide. At the same time, the events of ties. Ironically, the political parties politics of the PDP, NC and the Congress advised against allying with the PDP. I
ous day’s press conference by the top Malik said that election was the best November 21 were about the two sides whose mandate in an election should has indicated that the grand alliance was told I was giving a new life to the
PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Beigh option in the current situation. separately trying to form the govern- have logically dictated who rules the was only a tactical, ad hoc measure party,” Omar said. “But I decided to lend
in which he declared his support “Dissolution of the Assembly is the ment and also aborting each other’s state are the weakest of the power which fulfilled its objective. The PDP my support in the interest of Kashmir. I
for a possible third front headed by best course of action… to provide sta- bids at doing so. Neither of them suc- centres. Both Omar Abdullah and Me- has baulked at challenging the Gover- rose above the political considerations
Sajad Gani Lone. But before Beigh’s bility and security to the state and hold ceeded in forming the government but hbooba Mufti praised the Governor for nor’s dissolution of the Assembly in the of my own party”.
announcement could be followed up elections at an appropriate time so that they duly pre-empted each other from not listening to New Delhi and doing his court. The NC has made it clear it won’t Going forward thus all Jammu and
with the possible defection of the other a government with a clear mandate is doing it. own thing by dissolving the Assembly. ally with the PDP in the Assembly and Kashmir parties will be on their own.
PDP MLAs, the grand-alliance among duly formed,” Malik said. He expressed Lone who was trying to break up the But the point had been made. With- parliament election. Similarly, while Though Lone is likely to be backed by
the PDP, NC and the Congress came serious doubts about the claims to gov- PDP for the past five months to form out New Delhi assent, no government Congress has said it would support the the BJP but this alliance would be more
along to pre-empt it. ernment formation where there were a government with the support of the could be made in Jammu and Kashmir. PDP in case it goes to court, the party is of a liability than a boon in the Valley. So,
By the late afternoon, the PDP lead- competing claims of the majority. BJP didn’t succeed in doing so — albeit, silent on a coalition with the PDP. “The all bets are off as to who wins the next
er Mehbooba Mufti dashed the letter The Governor also denied receiv- now he claims he had the numbers to Nowhere to go only glue among the parties was to pre- Assembly election. However, according
to Governor Satya Pal Malik staking ing the letters from Mehbooba and prove his majority in the Assembly. And The dissolution of the Assembly has empt the attempts to break them and to a recent India TV-CNX survey, the
claim to government formation. But Sajad, saying his office was closed in Mehbooba received the support of the NC has an edge in the polls.
the fax machine at the Governor’s of- view of the Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi and NC and Congress in time to foil Lone’s The survey says, NC can win
fice wouldn’t receive it. Mehbooba that there was no one even to give him ambitious bid. 31 assembly seats, while
posted the letter on her Twitter ac - food. However, there are fewer buyers For the grand alliance the basic ob- BJP can win 23 seats, fol-
count, urging the governor to receive it. in Kashmir or at the national level for jective was to ensure Lone didn’t make lowed by Mehbooba Mufti’s
She also revealed that she had tried to the government by breaking any of People’s Democratic Party
call the governor but the phone didn’t their parties. And this was possible only (PDP) which can win 16
go through. Meanwhile, her rival Sajad through conveniently joining hands to seats. Congress has chances
Gani Lone too tweeted a letter staking For grand alliance, form a government or force the disso- of winning only seven seats,
claim to form a BJP-supported govern- the key objective lution of Assembly, which they finally with ten seats going to ‘Oth-
ment which too had not been received did. And Mehbooba duly hinted at this ers’. The existing ground
by the Governor’s fax machine. was to ensure Lone success in her tweet: “I would like to situation in the Valley also
Within an hour or so of the two let- didn’t make the express my heartfelt gratitude to Omar endorses this survey. But
ters going public, Governor issued an Abdullah and Ambika Soni for helping the outcome would also de-
order dissolving the Assembly. He later government by us achieve the seemingly impossible”. pend on how many people
controversially explained that his de- breaking any of vote in the election. In case,
cision was forced by the “impossibility Democracy the loser the election is widely boy-
of forming a stable government” in the their parties. This Speaking at pre-convocation academic cotted, it could potentially
state given that the three parties had di- was possible only conclave of ITM University in Gwalior distort the outcome of the
vergent ideologies. He also referred to the Governor Malik defended his polls which could go in any
the fragile security scenario in the state through conveniently decision to dissolve the Assembly say- party’s favour.
to say there was a need to have a stable ing had he looked towards New Delhi
and supportive environment for secu- joining hands for instructions, he would have had to LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

TEHELKA / 15 DECEMBER 2018 10 WWW.TEHELKA.COM TEHELKA / 15 DECEMBER 2018 11 WWW.TEHELKA.COM

10-11 Riyaz Wani.indd 2 11/30/2018 6:04:54 PM 10-11 Riyaz Wani.indd 3 11/30/2018 6:05:02 PM