New Delhi: After the major parties having failed to form government in Jammu and Kashmir, the state is heading for a Governor's Rule with the Union Cabinet likely to recommend for the same.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh received Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra's report on Thursday, sources said.
The Home Minister will forward the Vohra's report to the Cabinet, which is likely to recommend Governor's Rule in the state, the sources said.
Jammu and Kashmir went to polls along with Jharkhand and the counting of votes for the two states took place on December 23. While government in Jharkhand has already been formed, Jammu and Kashmir has been deprived of a popular government as no major party - PDP (28 seats), BJP (25 seats). National Conference (15) and Congress (12) - could cobble up the magic figure of 44 seats in the 87-member state Assembly.
In his report, Vohra is understood to have recommended imposition of Governor's rule saying on the ground that immediate formation of government seems difficult in the state.
Omar Abdullah also paved for a Governor's Rule on Thursday by deciding not to continue as caretaker chief minister, arguing that the state needed a full-time administrator to deal with the situation along the border with Pakistan.
Omar met Vohra in Delhi on Wednesday night soon after his return from London after a 12-day visit to his ailing parents and is understood have conveyed that he wished to be relieved of the position of caretaker Chief Minister.
He was asked to continue as caretaker Chief Minister on December 24 after his resignation in the wake of defeat of his NC in the Assembly poll.
Following the hung verdict, BJP has been in touch with both NC and PDP for government formation but nothing concrete has emerged so far to break the deadlock. NC does not appear to be in favour of joining hands with BJP and PDP is struggling to convince its cadres for a tie up with the saffron party.
The new Government is required to be constituted before January 19 when the term of the current Assembly expires failing which Governor's rule looks inevitable. Omar's decision means such a rule may have to be imposed earlier.
Omar is believed to have told Vohra that it was not possible for him to provide relief as a caretaker Chief Minister to the people along the border in Jammu where constant shelling has led to loss of houses and migration to safer places. He was not in a position to help people affected by the floods in the Valley who are facing a harsh winter.
Sources said Omar has conveyed to the Governor that nearly 10,000 people have been dislodged along the International Border and Line of Control due to escalated tension between Indian and Pakistani forces.
Omar reasoned that the state effectively did not have a government since October last week after the Model Code of Conduct came into force for the Assembly polls, the sources said.
Omar has already put the onus on his arch-rival PDP for pushing the state to a Constitutional crisis. "I don't envy the @jkpdp having to explain the imminent imposition of central rule when they've had a credible offer of support from @JKNC," Omar had tweeted on Wednesday.
The state is witnessing such a stalemate for the second time in 12 years. A similar situation had arisen when Farooq Abdullah had asked the then Governor GC Saxena to relieve him of being a caretaker Chief Minister as PDP and Congress were taking a lot of time in cobbling up numbers to form the government.
Despite intervention by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Abdullah refused to continue as the caretaker Chief Minister and the Governor's rule had to be imposed for a fortnight from October 18, 2002.
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