Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik Wednesday saidhis administration wants the President’s Rule to end in the state at the earliestbut the final call on the timing of assembly elections will be taken by theElection Commission.
Asked if some officials within his administration were notkeen on transfer of power to an elected government in the state, the governorsaid there was nothing like that in his notice.
“We want this (President’s Rule) to end as soon aspossible. The final call on holding assembly elections in the state will betaken by the Election Commission,” Malik told reporters after inauguratingthe second phase of the Jehangir Chowk-Rambagh flyover.
Recently, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also said adecision on holding assembly elections in the state was the prerogative of theElection Commission but indicated a decision could be announced after thecompletion of the Lok Sabha polls.
Jammu and Kashmir was placed under Governor’s Rule on June19, 2018 after the PDP-BJP coalition government fell as the BJP decided to pullout of the alliance.
The state assembly was kept in suspended animation to allowfor the possibility of any new combination of parties to form a government inthe state.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti supported by the NationalConference and the Congress staked claim for government formation on 21November, 2018.
Within minutes, People’s Conference chairman Sajad Lone, whohad just two MLAs, also staked claim for government formation.
The governor decided to dissolve the assembly on the groundsthat he wanted to prevent horse-trading.
The state was brought under President’s Rule on December 19,2018 for a period of six months as elections could not be held within sixmonths of imposition of Governor’s Rule in the state.The President’s Rule will have to be extendedagain on June 19, 2019 as assembly elections have not been held so far. The orderfor extending President’s rule will have to be ratified by Parliament.