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| Not a word yet from Congress, ‘NC poised to form next Govt’ | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 29: The National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah today claimed that his party will be forming next government in Jammu and Kashmir after tenth of Muharram –some ten days from today –and that his son Omar Abdullah will be sworn in as Chief Minister.
National Conference is hoping for the Congress support to form the government and has almost taken that for granted. Another flip flop from the National Conference leadership was that Dr Farooq Abdullah took his claim to the top seat off overnight and said Omar will be the next Chief Minister. He said, “I thought over the issue all the night and reached conclusion that young Omar should lead the government and I should work to strengthen party”.
However, there is not yet even a single word from the Congress leadership on supporting National Conference or the Peoples Democratic Party. The Congress leaders though maintained a cryptic silence but they said that all options were open.
38-year-old Omar, whose father and party Patron Farooq was projected as the chief ministerial candidate in the elections, will travel to Delhi for talks with Congress President Sonia Gandhi for working out a post-poll arrangement that will enable the two to form a government.
"I have been authorised by the party to hold talks with Congress leaders, finalise all issues pertaining to the alliance and cement an accord," Omar said. 72-year-old Farooq, who had injected an element of uncertainty last night by saying he would be the chief minister, retracted this morning after discussions with his son.
"I think time has come when I will recommend to my own party that we should have a younger man leading them because work hard, a lot has to be done," he said with his son by his side.
He said Omar had done well leading the party but unfortunately it could not not get a majority. "It will be a coalition and Omar is the best man to handle such a situation," the former chief minister said.
Emerging from his father's residence in Srinagar, Omar, who could break the 26-year-old record of his father when he became chief minister at the age of 45 years, told reporters earlier that "a decision has been taken that my name will be put forward at the Legislature Party meeting of the National Conference for the post of chief minister."
Omar, however, said this decision was only that of the NC which would have to be ratified by the new alliance partner as well.
The National Conferene, which bagged 28 seats, and the Congress,17, together will have 45 in a House of 87, one more than the required half-way mark as the elections returned a fractured verdict and a hung Assembly. Omar will be the ninth chief minister of the state.
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad is believed to have backed Omar's nomination as the chief ministerial candidate while PCC chief Soz is reported to have differed.
Congress and the NC had formed a coalition government after 1987 elections after an accord between Rajiv Gandhi and Farooq Abdullah.
Earlier, Omar had told reporters that his father Farooq Abdullah will be holding talks with Congress for formation of an alliance but the plans have been changed and Omar would himself go to Delhi.
"Formally, no no talks have been held on formation of an alliance (with Congress)," he said adding there should be no no difficulty in talking to Congress and seeking their support. Informal contacts have already been established, he added.
Farooq said he felt it was time that he should bail out the party which had some ground in some areas where they have been completely wiped out.
"That shows that the party needs regrouping, realignment and rethinking. That is what I have been thinking in the night and I should really devote more time to the party and the government was to be given to a young man.
"I would recommend to the party that Omar should considered for the chief minister's post," he said.
Asked when the decision was taken to project him as the candidate, Omar said "this morning. Yesterday we were all soaking in the results. Clearly Dr Farooq had 12 hours to reflect on the results and based on this he has taken the decision."
To a question whether a view that he was more acceptable to the Congress as Chief Minister than his father prevailed in taking the decision, Omar said "not not at all. We have had no no communication with the Congress even informally.
"Frankly speaking even if there is a suggestion that we should change the chief minister I would have rejected and said we would like to sit in the opposition. I will not not accept do something under another party's pressure."
Omar said he would like Farooq to return to Parliament and would also like him to take over the responsibility of managing the party affairs. "I can't do both," he said of heading the party and the government.
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said he was happy that the confusion in the National Conference was over. On Congress strategy, he said they would support any party that believed in integrity and unity of the country.
Azad himself declined to reveal the strategy. He said his party support any party that believed in the unity and integrity of the country. Union Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who was the AICC observer in Jammu during elections, Omar has been in politics and is a well-known Member of Parliament. "We will welcome anyone chosen by National Conference. Omar is a fresh face in the state politics," he said.
The national conference emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats followed by PDP at 21 and Congress at 17. BJP got 11 seats. An NC-Congress combine can also bank on the support of an Independent MLA.
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