Category: General News

General News

Brief alliance with PDP holds lessons for India: NC’s Spokesperson Sameer Kaul

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National Conference (NC) spokesperson Sameer Kaul said in an interview on Thursday that the coming together of three mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, if only briefly, sets an example for the rest of the country to follow in Lok Sabha elections next year. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday staked a claim for forming a new government in J&K with the support of its arch rival NC and the Congress. The claim didn’t pass muster, with Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolving the assembly, in suspended animation since…

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Governor Satya Pal calls PDP-Cong-NC ‘Grand Alliance of Opportunists’

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NC, PDP wanted dissolution of Assembly for last five months ‘Horse trading of MLAs was going on since last 20 days’ ECI to decide when to conduct LA polls Terming NC-PDP-Congress grand-alliance of “opportunists”, Governor Satya Pal Malik Thursday claimed they were not in a position to provide a stable government in Jammu Kashmir. He said instead horse-trading of legislators had increased during the last 15 to 20 days, compelling him to dissolve the State Assembly. “I will not allow any political party to arrange support for government formation under-hand…

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BJP had no role in dissolution of JK assembly: Rajnath Singh

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Home minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday distanced the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik’s decision to dissolve the state assembly, saying Malik acted after concluding that it wasn’t possible for a new state government to be formed in the current scenario. “The governor of J&K took the decision after considering the political situation there; he reached to a conclusion that government formation was not possible in the state,” Singh said in an interview with Hindustan Times. “It was a decision taken by the governor.…

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PDP, Congress, NC ganged up on Pakistan direction to keep BJP at bay: Kavinder Gupta

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Former Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta said on Wednesday that the Peoples Democratic Party, Congress and the National Conference were joining hands to form a government in the state at Pakistan’s behest. He made the comments before the dissolution of the Assembly by Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday evening. “The three parties are ganging up to form a government in the state at Pakistan’s directions to keep the BJP away from power,” he said in a press conference. Gupta, who served as the Legislative Assembly Speaker and later as…

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PDP, Congress and NC appear to be joining hands to form a coalition govt?

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In a potentially far-reaching realignment of political forces in Jammu and Kashmir, the PDP, Congress and the National Conference appear to be joining hands to form a coalition government, sources in the three parties indicated Tuesday. The state is currently under Governor’s rule which cannot be extended after it completed its six-month period on December 19. It is proposed to impose President’s rule thereafter but the 87-member assembly is not being dissolved, according to Governor Satyapal Mallik. The government headed by the Peoples Democratic Party’s Mehbooba Mufti fell when its…

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J&K Govt seeks to push through development agenda

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The Jammu and Kashmir government is set to approach the government of India for “special consideration” of some major administrative and developmental matters, including construction of a tunnel on the Mughal Road as well as restoration of induction quota for local civil servants in central services, in its bid to “accelerate the governance agenda” in the restive state. A top source said the governor’s administration has finalised a “list of matters”— pending approval from the central government for the past many years—to be taken up at various top levels in…

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Nine phase panchayat elections from tomorrow, Little buzz across Valley, poll activity minimal

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Against the backdrop of boycott call by separatists, terror threats and major logistical challenges in snowbound areas, J&K is set to go for the nine-phase panchayat poll from Saturday amid tight security arrangements. The panchayat elections are being held in J&K after a gap of seven years. The last elections were conducted in 2011 and the panchayats had completed their five-year term in 2016. “As many as 47 blocks — 26 in the Kashmir division and 21 in the Jammu division — mainly in snowbound parts of the state will…

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National Conference must explain its U-turn on Article 35A: Dr Jitendra Singh

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Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh, on Thursday questioned the stand of National Conference with regard to participation in the Assembly elections. “National Conference (NC) owes an explanation to the people of Jammu & Kashmir for its U-turn on 35A. This party boycotted the recently held urban local body elections with the pledge that it will not participate in an election till the issue of 35A was settled, but now is demanding dissolution of State Assembly and is ready to contest the elections in a bid to seek ministerial berths, regardless…

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Governor rule to continue: Ram Madhav

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Contrary to the claims of local leaders, Ram Madhav, national general secretary of the BJP, has said that the party is in favour of continuing Governor’s rule in J&K. He said it would continue till mid-December. Addressing a function to felicitate the newly elected municipal committee members and heads of the civic bodies at Kathua on Tuesday, Madhav said, “We are happy with the Governor’s rule and that is why the BJP has decided to continue with it for some time.” Under the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, there is…

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Clear stand on poll participation, Ram Madhav questions NC and PDP

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Accusing the NC and the PDP of trying to scuttle the democratic process, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav has asked them to clear stand on whether they would participate in state assembly elections or boycott them, like they did during the local bodies polls. Asked about any proposal to dissolve the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Madhav said the Governor’s rule will continue till the middle of December and what happens next will be discussed then. “We are happy with it and that is why BJP has decided to continue the…

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