Why the BJP pulled out of PDP of Mehbooba Mufti in J&K?

The ruling alliance of PDP and BJP has become defunct in Jammu and Kashmir when the BJP decided to withdraw itself from the government. Mehbooba Mufti and her team of ministers too sent in their resignations to the governor. It is expected that the state will be put under President’s rule.

Why did it happen? If we believe BJP leader Ram Madhav, it was not becoming tenable, to continue in the government. The move comes after the Union government revoked the suspension of a ceasefire in the militancy-affected state.

The brutal murder of an eminent journalist, the editor of Rising Kashmir’s Shujaat Bukhari seems to be an immediate cause. A spokesman of the BJP says that terrorism, violence and radicalisation have risen and fundamental rights of the citizens are in jeopardy in the state. The assassination of Shujaat Bukhari killing is an example, he said.

The journalist was gunned down in Srinagar by some persons who are still at large. The BJP spokesperson says that to bring control over the precarious situation in the state the party have decided to withdraw itself from the ruling alliance. But, the efforts to fight terrorism will continue during the President’s rule too, it is said.

The party is of the view that it had to respect the mandate of the people. It had formed the alliance earlier with them just for the mandate.

Earlier, BJP president Amit Shah met party MLAs from Jammu and Kashmir besides state unit leaders at the party headquarters in Delhi. On the other hand, it is being felt that the CM of J and K and PDP was unhappy with the Centre’s decision to revoke the suspension of the ceasefire, though it was seemingly effective during the period of Ramzan only.

In the Assembly, the BJP has a strength of 25 MLAs and the PDP have 28 MLAs. It may be recalled that the PDP was formed in 1998 by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. It gained power in 2002 Assembly elections.

Sayeed was the PDP-Indian National Congress Coalition Government between. He remained the party’s Patron until breathed his last on 7 January 2016. Her daughter Mehbooba Mufti, now heads the PDP.