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| Operation topple Omar government fails for the time being | | |
In Box: The past master in toppling governments in the state, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who has successfully accomplished toppling four governments in the state in the past is finding toppling Omar government a hard nut to crack.
By Yash Bhasin
Operation topple Omar government phase second, launched by the PDP has failed, at least for the time being, with the State Governor N N Vohra rejecting the conditional resignation offer of the Chief Minister and the CBI as well as Home Ministry giving him the clean chit. With this Omar Abdullah believes his position having been vindicated, paving wave for his continuing as the Chief Minister of the state. When the operation topple Omar Abdullah government, phase first launched by the PDP was still under way, the party launched the second phase, which has proved abortive and even weakened its first phase.
The first phase to topple seven month old Omar Abdullah led NC-Congress coalition government was launched by the PDP, when the party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed rushed the senior vice President of the party Muzaffar Hussian Beig to Jammu to win over some disgruntled Congress MLAs, whose aspiration to be inducted in Omar Abdullah ministry was not fulfilled. This was followed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed personally coming to and camping for few days at Jammu to establish contact with the Congress MLAs not accommodated in the ministry, who were airing their disappointment and discontent publically. Mufti Sayeed, a former state Congress President continues to be having personal equations with some Congress leaders of Jammu, whom he had favoured in the past either in his capacity as the J&K Pradesh Congress President or as Union Home Minister. At the same time PDP had also approached some NC disgruntled MLAs from Kashmir, who too were making no secret of their resentment over not getting included in the ministry expansion. The plan was to enlist the support of adequate number of disgruntled MLAs both from the NC and the Congress, to engineer toppling Omar Abdullah government in the budget session, by maneuvering non adoption of the money bill in the assembly, which could automatically lead to fall of the government.
But acting in haste when this operation was still under way, Muzaffar Hussian Beig threw a bombshell in the state assembly by leveling charges against the Chief Minister of latter’s figuring in the list of persons involved in the infamous sex scandal that had rocked the valley in 2006. However, by responding in a way Omar Abdullah did it took wind out of the sails of PDP. The solid and full support conveyed by the NC as well as Congress legislatures in Omar Abdullah has blunted even the first part of the operation to topple Omar Abdullah government, yet the PDP has not given up the hope to maneuver blockade of the passage of budget, by engineering cross voting by adequate number of NC and Congress MLAs sulking over their non inclusion in the ministry as well as by brandishing other weapons in their armoury, launching a concerted attack on the role of the constitutional head of the state, the Governor N N Vohra and the alleged partial role of the Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone. It is under this background that the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is reported to have invited Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for a meeting believably to persuade him to desist from dislodging the Omar Government and playing the role of constructive and effective opposition in the state. Even after Congress high command chose to join hands with NC, instead of PDP for forming a coalition government, headed by Omar Abdullah in J&K state, all the bridges between the Central Congress leaders and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed have not been burnt. This is despite the strong feeling in some Congress circles in Delhi, besides those in the state that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and his PDP stabbed and hit blow the belt Ghulam Nabi Azad led, Congress PDP government in the state in early July 2008.
A past master in toppling the duly elected governments in the state, having successfully accomplished operation topple the governments four times in the past, Mufti Sayeed is finding his tool and acumen in this behalf getting blunt this time, due to the Central government standing firmly behind Omar Abdullah. By bringing the name of former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah also, alleged to be involved in the sex scandal, even the remotest chance of Central government and the Congress High Command opting for the father succeed his son, was lost. That the Governor gave a categorical clean chit and unequivocally rejected the resignation by Omar Abdullah, after meeting the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister and gave statement to this effect in Delhi, is indication enough that the Centre stands firmly and solidly behind Omar Abdullah and would in no case like to let Omar Abdullah government be dislodged. This is despite the realization in the Union Home Ministry, including the Home Minister P Chidambaram that Omar Abdullah has bungled and not played his cards well in defusing the crises immediately after it erupted in the wake of Shopian episode.
In the meanwhile it may be recalled that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has in the past toppled governments in the state four times. He first toppled Farooq Abdullah government, as state Congress President in 1985, by engineering defections of eleven National Conference MLAs all of whom were inducted as Cabinet Ministers in G M Shah led government, with Congress supporting it from out side, the obliging then State Governor, Jagmohan connived with Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in this toppling game, which had the blessings of the then Congress government in the Centre. Later, after little over than one years, Mufti Sayeed toppled GM Shah government also by withdrawing the outside support of the Congress MLAs to the government, bringing it in minority. The state Government Jagmohan pounced upon the opportunity to directly take the charge of the government, imposing Governor’s rule in the state and later dissolving the state assembly. The third time Mufti Mohammad Sayeed toppled Farooq Abdullah government again in 1990, as a Union Home Minister in V P Singh led Janta Dal government in the Centre. He appointed Jagmohan as Governor of the state again provoking Farooq Abdullah to tender his resignation as Chief Minister of the state. Mufti Sayeed knew it very well that no blood was lost between Jagmohan and Farooq Abdullah, because of Jagmohan playing a big role in toppling first Farooq Abdullah government. All these governments in the state were toppled with the blessings of the Central government. However the fourth government in the state – Congress-PDP coalition government led by Ghulam Nabi Azad was toppled by Mufti Sayeed, with the PDP pulling the rugs under the feet of the Chief Minister, in the wake of Amarnath Yatra land agitation, despite lack of support and dislike to the same by the Centre.
This time the operation to topple Omar Abdullah led government in the state is proving hard nut to crack for Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, due to Central government and Congress high Command’s solid and firm support to Omar Abdullah. Yet the final word is still to be said about the success or failure of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed this time. The sulking MLAs of NC and Congress are still weapons in the armoury of Mufti Sayeed, to launch the final assault.
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