What happened in Karnataka only a month ago turned out to be an improbable proposition in Jammu and Kashmir. The Congress and the National Conference (NC) in Jammu and Kashmir have decided not to grab the chance of forming a grand alliance.

Both these parties categorically rejected the suggestion of forming an alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after Mehbooba Mufti was forced to resign as Jammu and Kashmir chief minister today.

Soon after the BJP's pullout announcement, senior Congress leader Gulam Nabi Azad said that there was "no question of an alliance with the PDP."

NC leader Omar Abdullah went a step further and demanded that fresh election should be held in Jammu and Kashmir as soon as situation improves under Governor's Rule in the state.

Referring to his 2015 offer of extending support to PDP government, Abdullah said, "That was a one-time offer whose validity has long expired." This virtually put a full stop to all the speculations about an anti-Modi alliance in Jammu and Kashmir.

In the 87-member Jammu Kashmir assembly, the PDP is the single-largest party with 28 MLAs followed by BJP's 25, National Conference's 15 and Congress' 12.

With BJP pulling out, the next government formation would require an alliance involving the PDP, the National Conference and the Congress or any of the three Independent legislators, People's Conference (2 MLAs), CPI (M) (1 MLA) or People's Democratic Front (1 MLA).

Mathematically, the PDP and the National Conference together have a strength of 43 - just one short of the majority mark in the Assembly. Extending outside support to PDP-NC alliance would not have been difficult for the Congress to keep the BJP out of power or the Centre out of direct rule in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Congress had announced unconditional support for the Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka when the BJP fell short of majority mark in the Assembly election last month. The JD (S) was the third largest party in Karnataka after the BJP and the Congress.

Also read: 5 reasons why BJP dumped PDP in Jammu and Kashmir

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