it is  curtains in Jammu and Kashmir for The “unnatural alliance” between the BJP and the PDP which fell apart. The BJP on tuesday pulled out of the Mehbooba Mufti government of Jammu and Kashmir.

The decision to walk out of the Jammu and Kashmir government was taken in a meeting convened by BJP president Amit Shah. The meeting was attended by all the BJP ministers in the Jammu and Kashmir government.

BJP state chief Ravinder Raina and party general secretary in charge of organisation Ashok Kaul were also present in the meeting held in New Delhi.

The BJP-PDP alliance had strained over a range of issues with the saffron party ministers and leaders in Jammu and Kashmir complaining against Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s style of functioning. The BJP leaders alleged that Mufti had been taking unilateral decisions.

At the time of formation of the BJP-PDP government in 2015, the election had resulted in a fractured mandate. The BJP won a majority of seats in Jammu while PDP emerged largest in the Kashmir Valley. But with Mehbooba Mufti replacing father Mufti Mohammed Sayeed after the latter’s death, the BJP resented an increasing focus of the government on Kashmir Valley.

The BJP complained that under Mehbooba Mufti, Kashmir Valley was being pampered at the cost of other regions of the state. The BJP does not have a strong presence in the Kashmir Valley while the regions of its influence were being allegedly ignored. The BJP felt cornered in Jammu region which is the stronghold of the party.

The BJP said that the Mehbooba Mufti government failed to contain militancy and radicalisation of youth in the Kashmir Valley. “The situation in Kashmir Valley has deteriorated…radicalisation is on the rise,” Ram Madhav, the BJP general secretary and in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir, said today (June 19) in New Delhi.

The decision to withdraw from the government came a day after suspension of ceasefire in Kashmir Valley. Mehbooba Mufti is understood to have demanded extension of ceasefire in Kashmir Valley. The Centre had suspended operations against the terrorist outfits during Ramzan.

However, terror activities continued in the Valley. Noted journalist Shujaat Bukhari and army jawan Aurangzeb were killed by the terrorists during the period of ceasefire in the Kashmir Valley recently. Th political parties in tthe country reacted strongly to the development which has brought Kashmir to the brink of a political disaster.