Won’t stake claim to J&K CM’s post, allies to decide: Omar Abdullah

National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the INDIA bloc will stake claim to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir only after the alliance partners meet to elect the leader of the coalition in the assembly.

“Let the NC legislative party meet, I am not staking a claim to the chief ministership of J-K. It is for the alliance and the elected members to decide who they feel should lead the state over the next five years, and that is as far as I am willing to go,” Abdullah told reporters outside his residence here.

His remarks came after his father and NC president Farooq Abdullah announced Omar would be the chief minister.

The junior Abdullah said that as grateful as he was for the vote of confidence reposed in him by the NC president, “this is a decision for the legislative party of the NC” and a decision to be taken by the allies together.

Let the party celebrate its win and colleagues heave a sigh of relief before a meeting of the NC’s legislative party takes place, he added.

“In a couple of days, we will call our legislative party meet where the NC legislative party leader will be elected. Then, we will sit with the alliance to decide who will head it. Then, when we have all the letters of support, we will stake our claim to the L-G for government formation,” Omar Abdullah added.

The NC leader said the mandate proves that the people have voted against the BJP’s politics in J&K.

“There was no division of votes in Kashmir and the higher reaches of Jammu. I think the people used their vote thoughtfully. It is now the responsibility of the alliance to provide a clean government which comes up to the expectations of the people,” he added.

Earlier, in Budgam, Abdullah said many attempts were made to destroy his party over the last five years by creating new outfits which have been decimated in this election. “I am thankful to the voters in Budgam for voting for me, making me successful and giving me an opportunity to serve the people of J-K once again,” he said.