#HorseTrading: ‘Whatever does ex-J&K deputy CM Gupta mean?’wonders Omar Abdullah

Former BJP deputy chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Kavinder Gupta made an intriguing statement today, the operative part of which was “we are working on something & people will get to know about it”.
Gupta was talking about a new government or the lack thereof in Jammu and Kashmir. His party, the BJP, pulled the plug on the coalition government it was in with the PDP in the troubled state.
To opposition leader Omar Abdullah, Gupta’s statement indicated that the BJP was going to attempt to “horse-trade for government formation” in J&K.
“What do you mean ‘we are working on something’? The only ‘something’ would be to break other parties & make up the numbers to form a BJP Govt. Has the former DCM (deputy chief minister) inadvertently spilled the beans?” asked Abdullah of the National Conference in a tweet.
“Not true”, responded the BJP.
“Those who say that horse trading is being done, are the ones who actually do it. We have no motive to do any kind of horse-trading in J&K,” said Ravinder Raina, J&K BJP chief, to ANI news agency.
Abdullah however said the J&K state assembly should be dissolved immediately and fresh elections should take place as soon as appropriate.
“The former DCM has admitted that BJP can’t be trusted not to horse trade for Govt formation,” he tweeted.
Earlier today, President Ram Nath Kovind approved the imposition of governor’s rule in J&K.
Following the President’s approval, governor NN Vohra will be presiding over the state. He’s doing do for the fourth time, having overseen governor’s rule in 2008, 2015 and 2016. Vohra was set to complete his second term in a few days but is now set to continue in Raj Bhavan at least till the conclusion of ‘Amarnath Yatra’ on August 26.
Yesterday, following the BJP’s withdrawal, the PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti yesterday submitted her resignation as Jammu and Kashmir chief minister to governor Vohra. Then, late yesterday evening, after concluding his consultations with all the major political parties in the state, governor Vohra forwarded his report to the President of India for imposition of governor’s rule under Section 92 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir.
The BJP pulled out the alliance saying it was “untenable” to continue.
“It has become untenable for the BJP to continue its alliance government in Jammu and Kashmir, hence we are withdrawing,” BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said at a press conference this afternoon.

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