J-K Guv says his admin wants President's rule to end in state as soon as possible
Srinagar, May 22: Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik Wednesday said his administration wants the President's Rule to end in the state at the earliest but the final call on the timing of assembly elections will be taken by the Election Commission.
Asked if some officials within his administration were not keen on transfer of power to an elected government in the state, the governor said there was nothing like that in his notice.
"We want this (President's Rule) to end as soon as possible. The final call on holding assembly elections in the state will be taken by the Election Commission," Malik told reporters after inaugurating the second phase of the Jehangir Chowk-Rambagh flyover.
Recently, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also said a decision on holding assembly elections in the state was the prerogative of the Election Commission but indicated a decision could be announced after the completion of the Lok Sabha polls.
Jammu and Kashmir was placed under Governor's Rule on June 19, 2018 after the PDP-BJP coalition government fell as the BJP decided to pull out of the alliance.
The state assembly was kept in suspended animation to allow for the possibility of any new combination of parties to form a government in the state.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti supported by the National Conference and the Congress staked claim for government formation on 21 November, 2018.
Within minutes, People's Conference chairman Sajad Lone, who had just two MLAs, also staked claim for government formation.
The governor decided to dissolve the assembly on the grounds that he wanted to prevent horse-trading.
The state was brought under President's Rule on December 19, 2018 for a period of six months as elections could not be held within six months of imposition of Governor's Rule in the state.
The President's Rule will have to be extended again on June 19, 2019 as assembly elections have not been held so far. The order for extending President's rule will have to be ratified by Parliament.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
