Srinagar, June 30
Two days after the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) pulled out of the coalition government, Governor N.N. Vohra today asked Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to prove majority in the Assembly by July 7.
An official spokesman here said the Governor, in a letter addressed to the Chief Minister, asked him to prove majority on the floor of the House on any date not later than July 7 in keeping with established conventions of parliamentary democracy.
After the withdrawal of the PDP, the government was reduced to minority leading to a political crisis in the state.
Earlier today, Azad offered to prove his majority on the floor of the house any time the Governor decides.
In a written communication to the Governor, the Chief Minister today said as he continues to enjoy the support of the majority of members, he was ready to prove it on the floor of the house in keeping with the highest traditions of parliamentary democracy and to dispel any misgivings on this account.
Many parties have demanded the imposition of the Governor’s rule in the state, ahead of the Assembly elections due to be held later this year.
Of the three major parties in Assembly, two parties — the PDP and opposition National Conference — which have their bases in the Kashmir valley, are outside the government. In the 87-member Assembly, the Congress has 22 seats, in addition to the support of seven other MLAs. The PDP has 20 seats and the National Conference has 24 seats.
“This is not a number game now,” said a senior PDP leader adding that it was the question of political crisis, which, the PDP leadership believed could not be defused unless the transfer of forest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) was revoked. The PDP said the ball was now in the court of Governor, who would have to decide on the future course of action to resolve the crisis.
However, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has covertly blamed his coalition partners for getting carried away by the situation. He held that some political parties were taking advantage of events ahead of elections.
The coalition comprising the Congress and the PDP was shaped after the 2002 elections, in which no political party was able to get a simple majority in the Assembly.
The National Conference even after emerging as largest party with 28 seats was relegated to the opposition.
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had constituted the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) only in 1999 after parting ways from the
Congress.
