By Firdous Hassan

Srinagar, Jun 19: Former Chief Minister and Vice-President of the National Conference (NC), Omar Abdullah, on Tuesday ruled out any possibility of his party entering into an alliance to form the government.
Addressing a press conference in the backdrop of pullout by the BJP from the coalition, Omar supported the possibility of Governor’s rule in the state, saying no party had got the mandate to form government in Jammu and Kashmir.
“I met Governor at Raj Bhavan and told him that if NC didn’t get mandate to form the government in 2014, today we also don’t have it. We told him his rule was the only suitable option till he improves the situation to pave way for elections as he had handled the state earlier as well,” he said.
Omar said that his party would not prefer to approach any party to forge alliance for government formation.
“We are not in a discussion with any political party over formation of the government. Neither anyone approached us. We also told the Governor that his rule shouldn’t remain in the state for long time as he has to create an atmosphere for the elections,” he said.
The former Chief Minister said their offer to PDP in 2014 was a “one-time offer”, “which he said was not possible now”.
“That offer expired the day when PDP and BJP joined hands to form the government. And I am not in a habit to go to the parties that I am not invited to. They don’t want my support, so why should I be offering all the time …. I am not that desperate,” he said.
“We don’t celebrate this breakup, as we are mourning demise of democracy in the state. We want people of JK at earliest given a chance to decide their future again. No political party, which believes in election will celebrate Governor’s rule,” Omar said.
Asked whether the announcement by BJP came as a surprise to him, he said was expecting it.
“I am not surprised by the decision but the timing has taken me by surprise. I was expecting coalition to fall apart later in the year. But clearly over a month and a half, there has been a significant deterioration in the situation in the state and that perhaps is one of the reasons behind the breakdown of coalition,” Omar said.
He said that the PDP President, Mehbooba Mufti would have had a dignity exit had she agreed with his suggestion to break the alliance much earlier.
“For last more than a year, I been asking her, for God sake, please go and break the alliance.
As a former CM, I wish she had gone with some dignity intact rather than shunted out. But she chose to be dismissed rather than to leave with some dignity intact. This is all lust for power as she was in her office when BJP broke the alliance,” he said.
When asked that PDP minister were informed about any such decision, Omar said the BJP should have taken PDP into confidence before announcing the decision.
“It is unfortunate, as both these parties worked together for three years. They could have taken them into confidence about the decisions. But then different parties function differently,” he said.
Over BJP National General Secretary leader’s reasons of radicalisation and militancy behind the pullout, the NC Vice-President said both these parties were responsible for the current situation in the state.
“If these are the reason for pullout then they are equally responsible as PDP. PDP didn’t governor the state of its own. Currently, if we live in fear, both parties responsible for it. Both these parties pushed state to precipice,” he said.