The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition that challenged the decision of the Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik to dissolve the state assembly last month.

We are not inclined to interfere with the governor’s decision, a bench comprising of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice SK Kaul said. The petition was filed by the BJP MLA Gagan Bhagat. But the court dismissed it saying it had no merits.

In his petition, the BJP leader called the Governor’s decision “arbitrary and illegal” and wanted the court to dismiss it and direct the governor to hold a floor test.

The Governor’s move to dissolve the state assembly came under strong criticism from the BJP. Bhagat had however said that his action was prompted after reports of “extensive horse trading”. He cited multiple reasons including the “impossibility of forming a stable government by the coming together of political parties with opposing political ideologies”.

—India Legal Bureau