NC-Congress alliance stakes claim to form govt; Omar Abdullah likely to take oath on Oct 16
The National Conference (NC)-Congress alliance Friday staked the claim to form government in Jammu and Kashmir as Chief Minister-designate Omar Abdullah called on Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha here.
During his meeting with Sinha, Abdullah presented the letters of support from the coalition partners, hours after Congress extended its support to the NC vice president.
Abdullah was unanimously elected as the leader of the NC legislature party on Thursday, paving the way for his second term as the Chief Minister of J-K.
“This process will take some time. It is not that an elected government is replacing another elected government. This is a central rule, we are a Union Territory, and the L-G has to prepare documents and send them to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.”
“From the Rashtrapati Bhavan, they will go to the Home Ministry where they will do their paperwork and then the documents will be sent back. We have been told that it will take at least two-three days. I hope that if this process is completed at the earliest, then the oath-taking ceremony will likely be held on Wednesday,” Abdullah added.
Omar’s visit to the L-G came shortly after the Congress on Friday handed the letter of support for the formation of government in Jammu and Kashmir.
Around evening, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra and other leaders visited the residence of NC president Farooq Abdullah to hand over the letter of support, soon after the newly elected legislators of Congress party met in Srinagar and extended the support to NC.
Farooq Abdullah had earlier said that they are planning to meet L-G Sinha on Saturday to stake claim for the government.
The NC, which had fought the election in an alliance with the Congress and the CPM, secured 49 seats in the 90 member House. On Thursday, four Independents also extended their support, taking the total number of seats to 53. The NC which had emerged as the single-largest party with 42 legislators, with the help of four independents, reached the magic mark of 46 on its own.
Responding to a question, Farooq Abdullah said: “We have to end hatred and win the hearts of people of Jammu. False propaganda was spread in Jammu that stone-pelting, terrorism would start there, but they did not see that their lands were taken away, they do not have jobs…we want to end that propaganda from their hearts,” he said.
Before meeting Abdullah, Karra told reporters that we have no demands from the N-C and further discussions will be on the governance model and common minimum programme.
“We will sit with them formally and at that time we will discuss what the model of governance will be like. The spirit of this alliance is far beyond the game of numbers and ministerial post,” he said while dismissing any differences with N-C over the portfolios.
After the Congress meeting on Friday, JKPCC president Tariq Karra said the CLP meeting unanimously decided to give the right to the central leadership to take the call on the CLP leader.
AAP extends support to NC
- The J&K unit of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has extended support to the National Conference (NC) even as party has only one MLA who won from the Doda Assembly constituency.
- The sole candidate of AAP – Mehraj Malik – sprung a surprise for many as he won the election by over 4,500 votes against BJP’s popular leader Gajay Singh Rana.
- Meanwhile, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal will visit Doda on October 13 where he is expected to address a rally and thank the electorate for reposing faith in the AAP.
