Mehbooba Mufti resigns as Jammu and Kashmir CM; 'this had to happen,' says PDP

With the PDP-BJP coalition falling apart in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday submitted her resignation to NN Vohra, the Governor of the militancy-hit state.

"We will talk in detail at 5 pm, meanwhile Mehbooba Mufti has submitted her resignation to the Governor," PDP’s Naeem Akhtar was quoted by ANI as saying.

Talking about the latest development in the state, PDP spokesperson Rafi Ahmad Mir said, "We tried our best to run the govt with BJP. This had to happen. This is a surprise for us because we did not have any indication about their decision".

On being asked about the reasons why BJP pulled out of the alliance, Ahmad stated, "We can only put our heads together and discuss in the party meeting at 4 pm." 

We will talk in detail at 5pm, meanwhile she (Mehbooba Mufti) has submitted her resignation (as J&K CM) to the Governor: Naeem Akhtar, PDP pic.twitter.com/w8vNI6XeRw

— ANI (@ANI) June 19, 2018

Read | Cracks in PDP-BJP alliance! Amit Shah calls top J&K leaders for urgent meet in Delhi

In the wake of this major political turn of event, Jammu and Kashmir might come under governor's rule, which will be for the fourth time in the last 10 years. 

Governor's rule was imposed in July 2008 following the resignation of then chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. The decision came after the PDP pulled out of the coalition government with the Congress over the Amarnath land row.

The state was under governor's rule in December 2014, following the hung verdict in the Assembly polls that year.

Governor's rule was again imposed in the state in January 2016 following the death of then chief minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, as his daughter, Mehbooba Mufti had shown reluctance to continue the alliance with the BJP.

Read | Jammu and Kashmir government falls as BJP quits alliance with PDP