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| Azad makes 'nearly honourable' exit from top | | Weeklong suspense ends: CM withdraws trust motion, blames Mehbooba for fall | | Early Times Reporter
Srinagar | July 7
In a dramatic turn of events lifting curtains from the weeklong of political suspense, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad made an honourable exit leaving it to the Governor NN Vohra to adopt the next course of action on governing Jammu and Kashmir.
Azad announced his decision to quit in the special session of legislative assembly this morning which had been summoned by the Governor to determine strength of Congress government. The Chief Minister had earlier moved a motion of confidence which he withdrew after making an elaborate speech highlighting achievements of his government and commenting on the present political situation. In his speech he blamed the Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti for pulling down his government.
Shortly after announcing his decision to step down in the legislative assembly, the Chief Minister drove to Raj Bhawan where he submitted the resignation of his council of ministers to the Governor NN Vohra. A Raj Bhawan spokesman said that the Governor has accepted the resignation of Azad led council of ministers. However, Azad has been asked to continue in office till an alternate arrangement is made.
It was still not clear as what happens next. The Governor has two apparent choices: either to take over charge of the government or allow a minority government led by Azad till elections are held. Elections in Jammu and Kashmir are due in October.
There were possibilities of allowing Azad as caretaker Chief Minister till elections. No political party at present is in position to stake claim for the next government. In the 87-member Legislative Assembly, the opposition National Conference is the single largest party with 24 members. Its president Omar Abdullah declared this afternoon that they are not interested in staking claim for forming the government. Omar too suggested that options of allowing Azad as caretaker government did exist before the Governor.
Earlier, Azad delivered a long speech in the assembly highlighting his achievements, focusing mainly on developmental works during the 31 months he led the multi-party coalition government in the state.
After ending his speech, Azad told the members: "I know your conscience says something else while your party whips ask you to do something else." After this, Azad requested Speaker Tara Chand to allow him to withdraw the motion of confidence tabled in the house to prove his numbers.
"I am going to the Raj Bhavan to submit my resignation to the governor," Azad told waiting media persons outside the state legislature complex. Azad had taken over as chief minister in November 2005 as per the terms of an alliance agreement between the Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headed by former chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed.
The National Conference, which is the largest party in the 87-member legislative assembly, had issued a whip to its 24 members to vote against the motion of confidence.
The present political crisis started after Azad's largest coalition partner, the PDP with 17 members, withdrew support to the coalition government last week amid differences over the Amarnath land allotment row. The Congress has 21 members in the assembly and it was also supported by many of 16 independent members and the two legislators of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M). |
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