This refers to the report, “BJP's nationalist note in Mehbooba divorce” (June 20). The separation was overdue but better late than never because the presence of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had cast an uneasy alliance over the coalition as it was the ‘senior’ partner. Their coming together in 2015 was not a major surprise because the two rose to power riding on numbers. The PDP won in Kashmir while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won in Jammu. Other major players, including the National Conference (NC) and the Congress could garner 15 and 12 seats respectively that effectively pushed them out of the frame. In hindsight, it was quite remarkable that the two came this far. The PDP's stand on article 370, the role of the Indian Army in the Valley and ways to tackle Pakistan were too much for the BJP.
The aftermath of the shameful Kathua incident had pointed out to the brewing tension between the two till the Ramzan ceasefire. The Centre, in the first place, agreed upon to the ceasefire, on Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's appeal. But when reality dawned upon it in the hard way, it was firm in not extending the standstill. With the Amarnath Yatra round the corner, the Centre could leave anything to chance. Therefore, there was no option left for the BJP but to divorce its partner. Both NC's Omar Abdullah and Congress's Ghulam Nabi Azad have refused to bite the bullet; they would loathe heading a state in turmoil. Now the ball is in the Governor's court because there is no option other than placing Jammu & Kashmir under the President's rule for the eighth time. Whether an absolute BJP rule by proxy will help crush terror and the Centre will call for fresh elections, are points of interest.