Jammu and Kashmir: Let PDP go to court, I will prove my numbers, says Sajjad Lone

Reiterating his earlier statements, People’s Conference chairman Sajjad Gani Lone on Friday dared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to take the legal course against the dissolution of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly by Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday evening. "We have accepted the Governor's decision. They (PDP and its allies) haven't. Let them go to the court and I will prove my numbers,” said Lone at a press conference, adding that "the biggest challenge facing us is we are not able to decentralise governance".

Earlier in the day, Lone said if the (PDP) was so aggrieved, they could go to the court “but they will not because they don't have the numbers. But we are happy that we got these dynastic parties together”.

On Wednesday, Lone had staked claim to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir with the support of the 25-legislator strong BJP and "more than 18" other lawmakers.

 In a letter to Governor Satya Pal Malik, Lone, whose party had two MLAs, including himself, said he had the support of more than required number of legislators in the assembly to form a government.

This had come soon after former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP patron Mehbooba Mufti staked claim to form a government with the support of the Congress and the National Conference. In a letter to Malik, Mehbooba said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was the largest party in the state assembly having a strength of 29 MLAs.

However, later in the evening, the Governor dissolved that assembly, claiming that he acted according to the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir and dissolved the assembly in state's interest.