J&K govt formation: Why prolonged Governor's rule can hurt the state

It has been almost three weeks and there is still no clarity on the formation of the government in Jammu and Kashmir. There is a lot of guess work that is going on regarding the formation of the government.

Several BJP leaders are still clueless about the exact position and Mehbooba Mufti has not spelt out her demands clearly as yet.

There are a host of issues that are being discussed ranging from a financial package for Jammu and Kashmir to personal grief that is keeping this coalition between the PDP and the BJP at bay.

While the leaders of both parties are in a better position to understand the dynamics, one must bear in mind that a prolonged Governor's rule is not good for this volatile state that battles militancy every day.

Prolonged Governor's rule can harm J&K

The BJP will find it very difficult to run the state from the centre. There is a need to be in coalition with a party in the state as they act as messengers to the people of the state. While both the BJP and the PDP are waiting for each other to blink first, what both need to bear in mind is that the state needs a government in place.

When there is no local government in place, there is a good chance of trouble makers raising their head. Kashmir cannot afford violence and unless a local government is in place, there cannot be any guarantee of lasting peace.

If some elements do take advantage of the stalemate and create trouble, then it will become very difficult for the union government to man the problem from Delhi.

The locals would normally tend to strike a chord with a local government and hence the BJP needs to be in power with the PDP at any cost for now. The BJP too has not blinked as yet and wants to send a message to the PDP that it is not desperate to be in power.

The NC has been demanding that polls are declared if the BJP and PDP cannot iron out their differences. However the PDP does not appear to be ready for polls at the moment. If the state goes to polls immediately there may not be any clear mandate and if the NC does make gains, then the PDP will be in the back seat.

The BJP is looking to capitalise on this fact as it realises that polls are not an option for the PDP too at this moment. BJP leaders say that the stalemate will not last forever. Our senior leaders are in talks and very soon there will be a government in place.