NN Vohra was the centre's interlocutor for Kashmir for five years.
Highlights
- Jammu and Kashmir is back under Governor NN Vohra's rule
- NN Vohra, 82, was appointed Governor in 2008
- After taking charg, Governor's rule was imposed first in 2008
After the collapse of the Mehbooba Mufti-led coalition government, Jammu and Kashmir is back under Governor NN Vohra, who is due to retire on June 25. This is the fourth time in his 10 years that he is back to calling the shots in the state.
Asked whether the centre was looking to appoint a new governor after Mr Vohra's term ends, BJP leader Kavinder Gupta, who was deputy Chief Minister in the collapsed Jammu and Kashmir government, said: "It is a routine matter, after the Amarnath Yatra maybe a decision will be taken."
His reply indicated that the centre was unlikely to let go of Mr Vohra, 82, until the Amarnath pilgrimage is over in August at least.
Many see Mr Vohra as the right man for Jammu and Kashmir.
He is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer who was Union Home Secretary and Principal Secretary to then Prime Minister IK Gujral in 1997. Mr Vohra was the centre's interlocutor for Kashmir for five years.
In 2008, when he was appointed Governor, Mr Vohra handled the mass protests over a decision to transfer around 100 acres of forest land to the Amarnath shrine board.
Over the years, he also saw the state go through a spurt in terror attacks, the violent protests in the aftermath of the killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani by security forces, the backlash over the hanging of Afzal Guru and the turmoil over the Kathua rape case.
Mr Vohra was appointed Governor of the state by the Congress-led central government. He was the first non-army, non-police officer to be appointed Jammu and Kashmir Governor in 18 years. He was given an extension in 2013.
After Mr Vohra took over, Governor's rule was imposed in the state for the first time when the PDP withdrew support to the Ghulam Nabi Azad-led Congress-PDP coalition government in 2008.
Central rule ended the next year when National Conference leader Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the youngest chief minister of the state.
Governor's rule was imposed for the second time on Mr Vohra's watch after the state election in 2014 threw up a hung assembly and Omar Abdullah, the caretaker chief minister, asking to be relieved from the post immediately. It ended after the PDP and the BJP formed an alliance.
The last time the state was under central rule was in 2016 after the PDP and the BJP deferred the government formation process following the death of Mehbooba Mufti's father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Mehbooba Mufti was sworn in as the chief minister.
This is the eighth time in the last four decades that the state has been placed under Governor's rule.