NEW DELHI: National Conference (NC) chief Omar Abdullah is likely to be the next chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir. While earlier reports
indicated Farooq Abdullah was likely to be the party’s choice for CM, in an apparent U-turn, Farooq has now proposed his son’s name as the NC candidate for chief minister. Meanwhile, Congress is meeting today to decide whether it will support the NC. Sources say the Congress, which was in coalition with PDP before separating on a bitter note, does appear inclined to support NC. However, it may be required to handle those in the state unit who would like to see whether the Abdullahs could be pushed to support a Congressman as chief minister as the price for keeping their chief rival, the PDP, at bay. Failing that, the state unit may ask the central leadership to insist on the post of the deputy chief minister. The terms of trade, however, are yet to be finalised. NC emerged as the single largest party in the J&K polls overtaking the separatist-backed PDP in an election that saw a strong turnout of 60.5% in the face of a Pakistan-sponsored call for boycott, strengthening the credibility of India's democratic process. On Sunday, Omar, widely speculated to take over the reins from his father, confirmed the party's plan to approach Congress for support even before the counting was over. "Yes, we will approach the Congress which is a like-minded party," he said. The leadership, which reviewed the results, discussed the options at a meeting of the party's core group, will take the final call after holding discussions with representatives of the state unit. NC, with 28, and Congress with 17 will have the majority in the 87-strong House. NC survived a huge drop in vote share in both Valley and Jammu to finish ahead of PDP which - backed by proxy support from the separatists and the loyalty of its strongholds in southern part of the Valley - won 21 seats. Just like its prospective partner, Congress saw a major erosion in its vote share. Read More...
indicated Farooq Abdullah was likely to be the party’s choice for CM, in an apparent U-turn, Farooq has now proposed his son’s name as the NC candidate for chief minister. Meanwhile, Congress is meeting today to decide whether it will support the NC. Sources say the Congress, which was in coalition with PDP before separating on a bitter note, does appear inclined to support NC. However, it may be required to handle those in the state unit who would like to see whether the Abdullahs could be pushed to support a Congressman as chief minister as the price for keeping their chief rival, the PDP, at bay. Failing that, the state unit may ask the central leadership to insist on the post of the deputy chief minister. The terms of trade, however, are yet to be finalised. NC emerged as the single largest party in the J&K polls overtaking the separatist-backed PDP in an election that saw a strong turnout of 60.5% in the face of a Pakistan-sponsored call for boycott, strengthening the credibility of India's democratic process. On Sunday, Omar, widely speculated to take over the reins from his father, confirmed the party's plan to approach Congress for support even before the counting was over. "Yes, we will approach the Congress which is a like-minded party," he said. The leadership, which reviewed the results, discussed the options at a meeting of the party's core group, will take the final call after holding discussions with representatives of the state unit. NC, with 28, and Congress with 17 will have the majority in the 87-strong House. NC survived a huge drop in vote share in both Valley and Jammu to finish ahead of PDP which - backed by proxy support from the separatists and the loyalty of its strongholds in southern part of the Valley - won 21 seats. Just like its prospective partner, Congress saw a major erosion in its vote share. Read More...
Source The Times of India
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