Jammu and Kashmir comes under Governor's Rule

Governor's Rule was on Saturday imposed in Jammu and Kashmir, which is without a government following the death of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

"Governor's Rule has been imposed in the State of Jammu and Kashmir," said a union home ministry statement.

In Jammu, a Raj Bhavan spokesman said: "After reaching concurrence from the president of India, Governor N.N. Vohra issued a notification today (Saturday) to impose Governor's Rule in the state."

Consequent to Sayeed's death, "the process to form a new government had commenced and intimations were still awaited as to the respective positions of the PDP and the BJP.

"Considering the likelihood of some more time being taken, with the approval of the President, Governor's Rule was imposed with effect from January 8, 2016 under Article 92 (1) of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir," the spokesman added.

Informed sources in the state earlier said that Governor's Rule had been imposed, but Raj Bhavan sources in Jammu told IANS that no notification had been issued.

Though Sayeed's daughter Mehbooba Mufti was set to succeed him as chief minister of the Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition government in the state, she had refused to take oath before the traditional four day period of mourning ended.

Sayeed had died in New Delhi's AIIMS hospital on Thursday.

Vohra had on Friday evening faxed letters to PDP and BJP to "urgently" intimate him about possibilities of government formation in the state.

"Besides being in touch with the leadership of the ruling coalition partners in the state, the governor has today faxed letters to PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti and BJP president Sat Pal Sharma to urgently inform him about their respective positions regarding new government formation in the state," said a Raj Bhavan spokesman.