Governor's Rule looms in J&K

Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday appeared hurtling towards a spell of Governor's Rule, with incumbent N N Vohra sending a report to the Centre on the political impasse after Omar Abdullah asked to be relieved as caretaker chief minister. The report is understood to be containing two or three suggestions, including the option of a spell of Governor's Rule in the wake of no party being in a position to cobble up the numbers required to form a government after the highly-fractured verdict in the Assembly elections, sources said.

The governor's report comes a day after Abdullah met him in Delhi on Wednesday night, soon after his return from London after a 12-day visit to his ailing parents. Abdullah told him the state needed a full-time administrator to deal with the situation along the border with Pakistan and providing relief to flood-affected people in the Kashmir valley.

"Just to confirm I did meet Governor Vohra sahib last night and ask him to relieve me as caretaker CM. I had agreed to stay temporarily," Omar tweeted on Thursday.

He was asked to continue as caretaker chief minister on December 24 after his resignation in the wake of defeat of his party, National Conference, in the Assembly poll results on December 23.