India's government has assumed direct control over the administration of Indias state of Jammu and Kashmir. The move follows the resignation of the states chief minister, and the inability of parties in the state to form a coalition government, following state-assembly elections.
Governor Girish Saxena imposed Governors rule on the state of Jammu and Kashmir after Chief Minister Farouk Abdullah said he would no longer continue to head a caretaker government in the state.
Political parties have been wrangling over who will head a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir for over a week, following state assembly elections that saw Mr. Abdullahs party, the National Conference lose its majority in the state assembly.
An angry Mr. Abudllah told reporters in Srinagar, the summer capital of the state, that he no longer feels responsible for running the Jammu and Kashmir government, now that voters have rejected the National Conference.
"Let somebody else take these tragedies of the future. Why should I only be the one to receive the boot from you, and from the rest of the people. What for? Have you ever seen a newspaper write good things about us? Did we ever see them say that we have done something good. Did your media ever say any of the good things that we have done? No."
Mr. Abdullahs National Conference emerged from the state assemblyelections with the most seats in the 87-seat state assembly, but unable to form a majority. Two other parties, the Congress Party and the Peoples Democratic Party, have been holding talks on forming a government, but have been unable to agree on who will become the states new chief minister.
The political deadlock in Indian Kashmir comes just as tensions between India and Pakistan appear to be easing. Earlier this week both countries announced significant troop withdrawals from their common international border. The two nuclear-neighbors have been in a tense standoff for months. India accuses Pakistan of helping separatist militants in Kashmir a charge Islamabad denies.