This Article is From Nov 22, 2018

"No Final Decision Yet": Ghulam Nabi Azad Counters Mehbooba Mufti's Claim

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha and a former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister himself, said the party hadn't formally decided to back Mehbooba Mufti's party.

Ghulam Nabi Azad said that they have received a suggestion, but it was at the suggestion stage only.

New Delhi:

After three plot twists in one evening, the Congress wasn't done yet. While former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti tweeted on Wednesday that she was ready to stake claim to form government in the state with support from her rival Omar Abdullah's National Conference and the Congress, her move was quickly questioned by one of her newfound allies.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha and a former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister himself, said the party hadn't formally decided to back Ms Mufti's party and their proposal was only "at a suggestion stage".

"I was told earlier in the day that we have received a suggestion, but it was at the suggestion stage only. And no final decision has been taken on it that all parties must unite to form a government. We haven't called a meeting of the legislature party, the Congress hasn't called a meeting of the state party," he said.

"From the National Conference too I have learnt that they too have not called a meeting of the legislative party. They too got a proposal. It's a different matter that even at just the talk of a proposal, the BJP dissolved the assembly," Mr Azad added.

The Jammu and Kashmir assembly was abruptly dissolved by Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday night hours after Ms Muftis People's Democratic Party or PDP staked claim to form a government with the backing of rival National Conference and the Congress, followed by another bid from the two-member People's Conference which claimed the support of the BJP and 18 legislators from other parties.

In the 87-member Jammu and Kashmir assembly, the majority mark is at 44.

The governor's advice for dissolution of the assembly will pave way for elections in the state within the next six months. The tenure of the governor's rule is ending next month, which will be followed by President's rule.

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