The union government is set to impose the President’s Rule in Jammu and Kashmir from Thursday as the Governor’s rule of six months is set to expire on Wednesday.
The governor of the Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik had sent a report to the central government recommending imposition of President’s rule in the state, officials said on Monday. Taking the report into cognizance the union cabinet has cleared the proposal to impose President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir from December 19.
President Ram Nath Kovind will now have to issue a proclamation declaring that the powers of the legislature of the state shall be exercisable by or under the authority of the Parliament.
Jammu and Kashmir had been placed under the Governor’s rule after the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition government was reduced to a minority after its coalition partner BJP withdrew their support from the government. As per the state’s laws, the state came under the rule of the then governor NN Vohra. Satyapal Malik had taken charge as the governor of the state after NN Vohra completed two terms as governor of the state since 2008.
Satyapalik Malik had dissolved the 87-member state assembly on November 21 after the PDP, supported by the Congress and the National Conference, had staked their claim to form the government. Simultaneously, Sajjad Lone of the People’s Conference had also staked a claim with BJP’s support. The Governor had cited ‘horse trading and a lack of stability’ as reasons to dissolve the assembly.
Jammu and Kashmir is the only state in the country to have its own separate constitution. In case of failure of constitutional machinery in any other state of India, President’s Rule is imposed under Article 356 of the Constitution. But in the case of J&K, as per Section 92 of state Constitution, Governor’s rule has to be imposed for a period of six months first.
During the Governor’s rule, State Assembly is either suspended or dissolved. If the Constitutional machinery is not restored before the expiry of this six month period, the provision of Article 356 of the Constitution of India are extended to J&K and the President’s rule is imposed in the State.
Meanwhile, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has received a big jolt after two of party’s senior-most leaders, including a former minister, is set to quit the party taking the number of people leaving the party to eight since the PDP-BJP government fell in June this year.
Syed Basharat Bukhari, who had served as law and revenue ministers during the PDP-BJP regime, and Peer Muhammad Hussain, vice chairman of the J&K Waqf, are set to join the National Conference (NC) on Wednesday.
Recently, Haseeb Drabu, a PDP leader who served as State finance minister, also had resigned from the PDP over disputes with Mehbooba Mufti over dropping him from the cabinet.
Many senior PDP members, including former minister Imran Reza Ansari, former MLAs Abid Ansari and Abbas Wani have defected from PDP to join rivals NC and Sajjad Lone’s People’s Conference recently.
