Srinagar, Aug 13: Jammu and Kashmir will get a new Governor later this month as the incumbent’s term ends after ten years in a couple of weeks, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav has said, according to a media report.
“The government can think about the future, take what steps it thinks are best. I assume there will be a new governor soon,” ‘The Print’ quoted Madhav as having said.
According to the report, the names of Maharashtra governor C. Vidyasagar Rao, a “committed activist of the RSS” for several decades, and Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) and former Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi are being touted as possible successors to N N Vohra.
Quoting sources, the report said there had been differences of opinion between Vohra and the BJP leadership, especially around the restoration of the assembly and Article 35-A, which outlines the special privileges residents of Jammu & Kashmir are entitled to.
On government formation in the state, Madhav said: “Right now we prefer to continue governor’s rule in J&K. We are in favour of continuing the state of suspended animation of the assembly. But we will have to see how politics happens.”
“What if the National Conference and Congress and PDP come together? They have the numbers… But we are in favour of continuing governor’s rule, and after that, perhaps, President’s rule for another six months,” he added.
In the 87-member J&K Assembly, the PDP is currently the single-largest party with 28 MLAs, followed by the BJP (25), the National Conference (15) and the Congress (12).
There are widespread speculations that the BJP is planning to form the government in the state with dissident MLAs of its former ally, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
