BJP pulls the plug on alliance with PDP, Governor's rule in the offing

Dumping its alliance partner, PDP, ahead of 2019 elections, the BJP on Tuesday pulled out of the coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The move will pave the way for Governor's rule in the restive state. This comes days after senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari was assassinated by militants in the heart of Srinagar city. Following BJP's decision, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also resigned from her post.

At a press conference in New Delhi, BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav, who was the main architect of agenda of alliance between the two ideologically opposite partners, said that continuing in the alliance had become "untenable" as terrorist activities were on the rise. The BJP said that the Mehbooba Mufti government failed to contain militancy and radicalisation of youth in the Kashmir Valley. "The situation in Kashmir Valley has deteriorated. Radicalisation is on rise," Madhav added. Interestingly, just last year, Madhav had claimed that militancy in the trouble-torn Kashmir was on decline.

Talking to media after submitting her resignation, Mufti said PDP had partnered with a powerful party(BJP) as it had a bigger vision for the state. The main intention of this alliance with BJP was reconciliation with the masses, said Mufti.

A muscular policy would not work in Kashmir, added Mufti. "We had asked for a Ramzan ceasefire to bring relief to common people. PDP's agenda of healing touch, talks with Pakistan and withdrawal of FIRs against 11,000 youth, we did everything we could from our side under this alliance," she added.

The decision to withdraw from the government came a day after suspension of ceasefire in Kashmir Valley. Mehbooba Mufti is understood to have demanded extension of ceasefire in the valley. In a bid to reach out to the locals, the Centre had suspended operations against terrorist organizations during Ramzan.

BJP's withdrawal from the coalition government is being seen as move to pander to its core voter base in Jammu, who felt disenchanted with certain decisions of the Mehbooba Mufti government. On several occasions BJP's local leaders had said that Kashmir Valley was being pampered at the cost of Jammu and Ladakh.

Former CM Omar Abdullah has said that he is not looking to form government in Srinagar. "If we did not get the mandate to form government in 2014, then we don't have the mandate now," Abdullah said at a press conference soon after he met Governor NN Vohra.

In the 89-seat J&K assembly, PDP had 28 seats while the BJP had 25 seats. Before forming alliance with PDP, the national party had included abrogation of Article 370, which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir, in its election manifesto.

Here's what has happened so far:

07:30 pm: Governor NN Vohra recommends President's rule in Jammu and Kashmir.

05:30 pm: "There was a perception that Kashmir betrays Delhi but we have proved it is Delhi which betrays Kashmir but Kashmir does not betray Delhi. There were already difficulties in being North Poles close to South Poles and finally BJP has taken the decision to end alliance for securing its interests for 2019 Lok Sabha elections," PDP Spokesman and the outgoing Public Works Minister, Naeem Akhter was quoted as saying by Rising Kashmir.

05:00 pm: This alliance was untenable since the beginning. It was an alliance between forces that never saw eye to eye on any issue but came together in an act of sheer opportunism to share the spoils of office, CPI (M) said in a statement.

04:30 pm: Omar Abdullah: We are not celebrating this break up. "I don't know what broke the camel's back but I am not celebrating this," Omar Abdullah said while addressing a press conference after the BJP pulled out of the alliance with the PDP. "Any political party should not celebrate and will not celebrate President's rule," Abdullah added.

04:00 pm: Election should be held soonest, says Omar Abdullah. Abdullah said that his party will extend "full support" for a Governor's rule in Jammu and Kashmir but added that it should go on for "very long". "Governor's rule shouldn't indefinite, there should be elections as early as possible," Abdullah said.

03:45 pm: Former CM Omar Abdullah has said that he is not looking to form government in Srinagar. "If we did not get the mandate to form government in 2014, then we don't have the mandate now," Abdullah said at a press conference soon after he met Governor Vohra.

03:40 pm: It was unnatural and unholy alliance, Sanjay Raut, Sena MP

03:25 pm: Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the BJP-PDP alliance in Jammu & Kashmir was nothing but 'himalayan blunder'.

03:15 pm: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal took a jibe at BJP. "After ruining it, BJP pulls out of Kashmir," he tweeted. Kejriwal also said, "Didn't BJP tell us that demonetisation had broken the back of terrorism in Kashmir? Then what happened?" The second part of Kejriwal's tweet referred to the BJP listing rise in radicalisation among the reasons it had decided to quit the Jammu and Kashmir government. 

Didn't BJP tell us that demonetisation had broken the back of terrorism in Kashmir? Then what happened? https://t.co/S9nyOMocKl

- Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 19, 2018