Grand alliance has given such jitters: Mehbooba Mufti over J&K Guv’s move to dissolve Assembly

Srinagar: Minutes after Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the state Assembly, PDP chief and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday expressed her surprise over the decision, which came shortly after she had written a letter to the governor staking claim to form the government in coalition with the National Conference and the BJP. She claimed that the very idea of a grand alliance had caused “such jitters”.

“In my twenty six year old career as a politician, I thought I had seen it all! But like they say never say never!” Mufti tweeted. In a series of tweets, she thanked NC leader Omar Abdullah and Congress leader Ambika Soni for their efforts to stitch an alliance with the PDP, a “seemingly impossible” task.

She wrote, “Since the past five months, regardless of political affiliations, we shared the view that the state assembly be dissolved immediately to avert horse trading & defections.”  She further said, “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.”

Notably, Mufti also alluded to her earlier claim that the letter sent by her to stake claim had “strangely” not been received by the Raj Bhavan and take a swipe at the Raj Bhavan over the issue. She tweeted, PS – In todays age of technology, it is very strange that the fax machine at HE Governor’s residence didn’t receive our fax but swiftly issued one regarding the assembly dissolution.(sic)”

Significantly, earlier today, People’s Conference leader Sajjad Lone had also written a letter to the governor, staking claim to form the government with the help of 25-member Bharatiya Janata Party and 18 other legislators.

Meanwhile, reacting to the news of the assembly dissolution, NC leader Omar Abdullah raised questions over the timing of the decision Notably, “JKNC has been pressing for assembly dissolution for 5 months now. It can’t be a coincidence that within minutes of Mehbooba Mufti Sahiba letter staking claim the order to dissolve the assembly suddenly appears.”