PDP, NC and Congress to join hands to form govt in Jammu and Kashmir
Srinagar, Nov 21: Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday saw a flurry of political activities, including several meetings among leaders of the PDP, NC and Congress, aimed at cobbling up an alliance to form a new government in the state.
Veteran CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami met National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah here to discuss the feasibility of forming a new government by extending support to the Peoples Democratic Party, said a source privy to the development.
The source said the NC is willing to extend support to the PDP for forming government for now, but wants early dissolution of the assembly, kept in suspended animation since imposition of Governor's Rule on June 19, and eventually an election.
"The aim is to pave way for fresh polls in the state so that an elected government takes charge and the political uncertainty due to the Governor's Rule is put to an end," the source said.
He said the developments so far have been moving in the direction of possible formation of a new government in the state in coming days.
A senior Congress leader here said his party, in principle, supports any alliance that will "keep communal forces" at bay.
"We have been working for a grand alliance at the national level and there is no reason why we oppose any such move in the state as the aim is to keep communal forces out," said the leader.
He, however, added that no decision has been taken as yet on coalition with the PDP or any other party in the state.
Senior PDP leader and Amira MLA Kadal Altaf Bukhari is tipped to lead the government, if the PDP-NC alliance comes to fruition, according to sources.
The PDP has 28 MLAs, followed by NC's 15 and and the Congress' 12. The three parties together will have majority in the 87-member House. The BJP is the second largest party in the state with 25 members.
Coming together of traditionally rivals PDP and the NC would mark a significant realignment of political forces in the state.
The National Conference had offered its support to the PDP after the 2014 assembly polls but the latter had ignored the offer and aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
After the June 19 pull-out, People Conference leader Sajjad Lone is understood to have been approaching disgruntled PDP leaders for forming an alliance with the BJP, the sources said. People Conference has only two MLAs.
Imran Ansari, a former PDP minister, is among those who have been cosying up to the People's Conference.
A former separatist leader, Lone had been successful in breaking away National Conference's chief spokesman Junaid Muttu, who recently contested the urban local body elections and became Mayor of Srinagar.
Muzaffar Beigh, a founder member of PDP, on Tuesday held a press conference where he alleged that the PDP "betrayed the workers, denying them a chance to connect with the people, by boycotting the local bodies elections".
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
