By IANS
Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party chief Bhim Singh Sunday withdrew support to the Congress-led coalition government in the state alleging partial behaviour towards the Jammu region.
Singh made the announcement here at a party meeting, saying: "Jammu has been the worst victim of discrimination during the coalition rule. We are left with no option but to quit (from the government)."
Failure to constitute a delimitation commission and giving equal status to Jammu in decision-making, jobs and development were other charges levelled against the ruling coalition.
Singh also said the state Congress had failed to distance itself from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which is calling for reduction of troops in the state.
The party has four members in a house of 87 and all, including Singh's nephew and former education minister Harshdev Singh, were present. However, the pullout won't affect the stability of the coalition.
The government had the support of 60 members in the state assembly, which would be reduced to 56 now.
Congress has 31 members (including 11 associate), PDP has 18, CPI-M has two and the rest are independents, some of whom operate under the banner of Peoples Democratic Front.
National Conference, the main opposition party, has 25. Jammu State Morcha and BJP have one member each.
Singh's party had two ministers during the first three years of coalition rule when PDP's Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was ruling the state. However, it did not get any ministerial berth after the Congress took over the reigns in 2005. Singh had been threatening to withdraw support to the government since then.