SC dismisses PIL filed by BJP’s ex-MLA Gagan Bhagat against dissolution of J&K assembly

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a PIL filed by BJP’s dissident ex-MLA Gagan Bhagat to challenge the dissolution of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly by Governor Satya Pal Malik.
A bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S K Koul observed “We are not inclined to interfere (with the decision of the Governor).”
As already reported that Jammu and Kashmir Assembly placed in suspended animation in June this year , was abruptly dissolved by the governor Satya Pal Malik on November 21, hours after the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) staked claim to form a government with the backing of rival National Conference and the Congress.
This was followed by another bid from the two-member People’s Conference, which claimed the support of the BJP and 18 legislators from other parties.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti wrote to governor that her party, which has 29 MLAs, was backed by the National Conference and the Congress with 15 and 12 legislators, respectively.
The dissolution was announced by Malik in a communique released by the Raj Bhavan.The six-month tenure of governor’s rule ends on December 18 to be followed by president’s rule. The state assembly’s tenure was till October 2020.
Governor’s rule was clamped in the state on June 19 for a six-month period following the collapse of the Mehbooba Mufti-headed PDP-BJP coalition government after the saffron party announced pull out. The state assembly was kept in suspended animation and political parties were free to explore the possibility of forming a new government in the state.