By IANS,
Jammu : While Jammu and Kashmir is set for another alliance government, former chief minister and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad feels coalition governments harm people’s interest.
Noting that the high voter turnout in the seven-phased assembly polls was a healthy sign for the strife-torn state, Azad said: “I would have been much happy if a single party – it may be any one – could get the majority to form the government.”
Coalitions become a hindrance in the way of progress where “parties try to pull each other down”, Azad told IANS Sunday as the results of the seven-phased elections were declared.
Azad won from the Bhaderwah constituency with a margin of over 8,000 votes.
While the National Conference emerged the laregst party in the 87-member assembly, it could not manage majority, making a coalition government inevitable.
Azad headed a coalition government with the support of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The coalition, however, collapsed when the PDP withdrew support in June after the Azad government decided to allot land to the Amarnath shrine board.
“What I could do in two and half years, I am sure no one could do in several years. So, that way, I am satisfied with my tenure of chief ministership,” he said.
He said that had he headed a majority government during his tenure, “I assure development and progress would have been manyfold and also there would have been no Amarnath land row.”
Azad said there was fractured mandate yet again, making coalition inescapable.
“The Congress leadership will decide which party to support. The decision will be based on support for a party that does not believe in divisive politics, does not give hollow slogans, will pursue development of all the regions (of the state) and have secular credentials,” Azad said.