In a dramatic development, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was dissolved on Wednesday night after three mainstream parties came together to stake claim to form a government that was countered by Peoples Conference leader Sajad Lone with the BJP’s backing.

Governor Satya Pal Malik made a terse announcement, saying he was exercising powers conferred on him by the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution and dissolving the House which had two more years to go.

The dissolution came shortly after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), National Conference and the Congress came together and staked claim to form a government in a bid to checkmate moves by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form a government with the support of PDP rebels and Lone.

Questioning the timing of the dissolution, PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti said: “Since the past five months, regardless of political affiliations, we shared the view that the state Assembly be dissolved immediately to avert horse trading and defections.

“Oddly enough, our pleas fell on deaf ears. But who would have thought that the very idea of a grand coalition would give such jitters.”

Reacting to the dissolution of Assembly, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said: “We were not interested in forming the new government, nor was the National Conference. We had not given any support to the Peoples Democratic Party. It was only an idea which was floated by some people and it was at initial stage of discussion.”

“There should be elections as soon as possible. We don’t want a prolonged President’s rule in the state. Of course, it may take two-three months. But there should be fresh elections now at the earliest,” Azad added.

Omar Abdullha in his tweet said: “National Conference has been pressing for Assembly dissolution for five months now. It can’t be a coincidence that within minutes of Mehbooba Mufti letter staking claim the order to dissolve the Assembly suddenly appears.”

Taking a dig at the Raj Bhawan for not receiving her letter of support via fax, Mehbooba tweeted: “In today’s age of technology, it is very strange that the fax machine at Governor’s residence didn’t receive our fax but swiftly issued one regarding the Assembly dissolution.”

Omar Abdullha quipped: “J&K Raj Bhawan needs a new fax machine urgently.”

Earlier in the evening, former Chief Minister and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti wrote to the Governor, stating that the Congress and the National Conference had decided to extend support to her party to form a government in the troubled state.

This was countered by Lone, who also wrote to the Governor staking claim to form the government with BJP’s backing. He claimed support of 18 MLAs besides the 25-strong BJP, contending that it was more than the required number for majority.

Mufti, in her letter to the Governor, said that with a strength of 29 MLAs of its own, the PDP would have a collective strength of 56 MLAs including 15 of the National Conference and 12 of the Congress.

“Since I’m presently in Srinagar, it would not be possible to call on you immediately and this is to keep you informed that we would be seeking your convenience shortly to stake the claim for forming the government in the state,” Mehbooba wrote to the Governor who was said to be away in Chandigarh for a wedding.

Until the news of dissolution came, former state Finance and Education Minister Altaf Bukhari was reportedly tipped to be the next Chief Minister of the PDP-led collation.

In the 87-member House, the BJP has 25 MLAs, all from Jammu, and claims the support of Valley-based Peoples Conference which has two MLAs.

Mufti said the Raj Bhawan in the winter capital Jammu strangely did not receive her letter that was faxed. She said she was trying to contact the Governor over telephone.

Hectic developments marked the day with consultations between leaders of the parties in the Valley after reports emerged that the BJP was trying to form a government with the support of rebel MLAs from the PDP and the backing of Lone’s party.

The developments came five months after the BJP pulled out of the Mehbooba Mufti government leading to the fall of the PDP-BJP collation that lasted for over two years.

The political developments also assume significance in view of the fact that the tenure of Governor’s rule was set to end next month, which would have been followed by the President’s rule if no government was formed.

Bukhari called on National Conference Vice President and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to discuss the modalities of a possible government formation by the PDP and the Congress with NC’s support.

The reports of a possible government formation by the PDP and the Congress with NC’s external support got some credence with senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad confirming to some reporters that talks were going on between the three parties to cobble up an alliance that would keep the BJP out of power in the state.

Dissidents of the PDP supported by the Peoples Conference had been speaking of government formation in the state with the support of the BJP ever since Governor’s rule was imposed.

Sajad Lone has been emerging as the leader of a possible third front that could in the future provide an alternative to the PDP and the NC.

Senior PDP leader and Lok Sabha member Muzaffar Hussain Baig ruffled many a feather on Tuesday when he expressed his willingness to join Sajad Lone if a third front was formed in the state.

Governor Satya Pal Malik had earlier this month said that even if the state was placed under President’s rule next month, the state Assembly would not be dissolved.

IANS

Schools are closed in seven districts in Tamil Nadu today following a warning of heavy rain in the state. Chennai and its neighbouring districts saw heavy rain on Wednesday evening as well due to a  well-marked low pressure area over the southwest Bay of Bengal.

The Chennai collector declared a holiday for all schools as well as colleges today. Madras University has cancelled exams scheduled for today.

“Due to heavy rains in Chennai and its surrounding Madras University cancels exams scheduled on 22nd November. Rescheduled date for this exam will be announced soon,” said a statement from Madras University.

“Exams conducted by the University Departments on 22nd November 2018 are also cancelled,” the university said.

Fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy showers are likely over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry during the next two days, the Met office said. Apart from Chennai, it rained heavily in Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Villupuram districts too.

46 people were killed in Tamil Nadu after Cyclone Gaja hit the coast in Nagapattinam, leaving a  trail of destruction in over 10 districts.

Last year, heavy rain lashed Chennai in the first week of November, bringing the city to a near standstill.

PTI

 An FIR has been registered against eight members of the Legislative Council at the Vidhana Soudha police station for allegedly deliberately misleading the Election Commission of India (EC) to get voting rights during the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s mayoral polls. They have also been accused of furnishing fake bills to claim travel allowances even though they claim they are residents of Bengaluru.

In his private complaint before the Additional City Civil and Sessions Court, Ramanna R H J, state working president of the Republican Party of India, alleged that eight MLCs had “furnished false information to get their names included in the electoral roll of the EC to get voting power” during the corporation’s mayoral elections. The FIR was filed based on the private complaint.The eight MLCs are S Ravi, N S Bosaraju, M D Laxminarayan, R B Thimmapur, Allum Veerabhadrappa and Raghu Achar from Congress, and C R Manohar and Appajigowda from JD(S).

According to the complaint, it is alleged that the accused enrolled themselves in the electoral rolls of the city between July 4, 2016 to October 20, 2016. They have also been accused of cheating under Section 31 of The Representation of People’s Act, which prohibits elected representatives or other people from making false declarations.

TNM

Former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa on Wednesday threatened to continue the protest until the  CM resigns from his post because he has failed to fulfill the demands of the farmers and if he continues to do so the state will incur a heavy economic loss.

Addressing presspersons at the protest called by the BJP to support the farmers  BSY said that the BJP party had initially decided to give some time for the coalition government to function and see how they help the people of this state but they failed to rule the state effectively. We will protest till Kumaraswamy resigns from his post and we request all the women of this state to support us because the current CM has also failed to respect women.

He further added that the CM does not know the value of the farmers, therefore, he has failed to fulfill their needs. He did not even bother to apologize to the lady farmer after insulting her. It is very bad to see that the CM is taking so long to increase the support price for the sugar cane.

PTI

 The Congress on Thursday approached the Election Commission (EC) seeking withdrawal of pink ballot papers pasted on EVMs for the Telangana Assembly polls contending that the colour was associated with the ruling TRS and voters may get influenced.

In its memorandum to the EC, the Congress pleaded for withdrawal of a direction to procure 9 lakh pink ballot papers for the December 7 Assembly elections.

“Pink is the official colour of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), it is synonymous with the party. The usage of pink coloured ballots without doubt, will give the TRS an undue advantage over other contesting parties,” the Congress said in the memorandum.

“The EC is tasked with the conduct of free and fair elections under the Constitution. We are certain that it will agree as this is an important issue that needs immediate redressal. Party colours are of great significance for representation and its ideologies, inter alia, they also create a bias in the mindset of the voters,” it said.

The party also pointed out that during the recently concluded Greater Hyderabad Municipal polls, TRS had objected to the proposal of electronic voting machines having a pink button to designate the “NOTA” or “None of the Above” category vote, saying their voters would mistake the button “for the TRS and press the NOTA button inadvertently”.

“So great is the TRS’ association with the colour that they acknowledged the electoral harm that any confusion would cause them,” said the Congress seeking immediate withdrawal of the direction to procure pink ballot papers.

The state Congress has also challenged the decision before Chief Electoral officer Rajat Kumar.

However, the state’s top poll panel official has said the pink-ballot papers pasted on EVMs were in accordance to the provisions of the Representation of People Act.

IANS

Taking offence to the controversial comment made by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy against a woman farmer, a Bengaluru-based organization on Tuesday lodged a complaint against the Chief Minister.

Alleging that Kumaraswamy insulted the woman farmer by questioning whether she was sleeping for last 4 years, Karnataka Karmika Kalyana Prathishtana, on behalf of the farmer woman, in an email sent to DG & IGP Neelamani N Raju lodged a complaint against the Chief minister quoting Sections 509 and 504 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The organization accused Kumaraswamy of outraging the modesty of a woman and intentionally insulting with an intent to provoke breach of the peace. Meanwhile, it is yet to be known if the complaint has been accepted by the police.

PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday condemned the chilli powder attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying such acts are not acceptable.

“Heard that someone has thrown chilli powder on Kejriwal. I condemn it,” Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari told reporters.

He said that such acts are “not acceptable” and the person who has been arrested for attacking the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convener should be thoroughly interrogated.

The BJP Northeast Delhi MP’s remarks came soon after Kejriwal was attacked by a middle-aged man with chilly powder inside the Delhi Secretariat.

He was attacked as he stepped out of his office.

The suspect was identified as Anil Kumar Sharma and caught by the police personnel present on the scene. The AAP has described the incident as a breach of security of the Chief Minister.

People needs to go through a two-level security check to reach the Chief Minister’s Office.

IANS

 
The Indian and Pakistani armies traded heavy fire on the Line of Control (LoC) on Tuesday in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, defence sources said.

The Pakistani Army violated ceasefire around 7 a.m. using small arms, automatics and mortar shells.

Reports from the area said at least two mortar shells fired by the Pakistani side landed close to the Indian Army’s brigade headquarters in Poonch while the other landed in a village.

“Our positions retaliated strongly. Firing exchanges were going on till last reports came in,” the sources added.

No report of any casualty or damage has been reported from the Indian side so far.

IANS

The Punjab Police have detained a few people having links to separatist organisations in connection with Sunday’s grenade attack on a prayer meeting of the Nirankari sect in Amritsar, police sources said on Tuesday.

The Sikh hardliner elements were detained in raids conducted by various teams of the state police at different places, including in Amritsar and Bathinda districts.

The police have not, however, officially confirmed or denied the detentions.

Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Suresh Arora had earlier said that a “local hand” could be behind the grenade attack.

Three persons were killed and 20 injured when two motorcycle-borne youths threw a grenade at a religious congregation in Adliwal village in Rajasansi area, about 15 km from Amritsar, on Sunday.

All victims were sect followers from nearby villages who had gathered for the weekly religious meeting.

Police officials told IANS that various leads were being followed in the grenade attack case to nab the culprits.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said the attack seemingly carried “Pakistan’s signature”, with initial probe indicating the grenade used was similar to the ones being manufactured by the Pakistani Army Ordinance factory.

“Prima facie, this appears to be an act of terror by separatist forces, organised with the involvement of ISI-backed Khalistani or Kashmiri terrorist groups.

“My government has taken serious note of the incident and is aggressively pursuing all angles of investigation,” he said.

He also announced Rs 50 lakh as reward for any information leading to the arrest of the assailants.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and forensic experts were helping in the investigations.

The Chief Minister has said Sunday’s attack was a clear case of terrorism and there was no religious connection to it.

IANS