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| Congress okays alliance, Omar declared new CM | | | Early Times Report
Jammu/New Delhi, Dec 30: Coming in as a perfect New Year gift for state’s grand old party, the National Conference has got the Congress ‘yes’ for forming next government in Jammu and Kashmir. The young president of the party Omar Abdullah, 38, will be the Chief Minister of a National Conference-Congress government for full six years. Congress has not put any modalities for power rotation arrangement as it was the case in its alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party.
The National Conference-Congress alliance has come as a smooth exercise with no tough negotiations involved between two parties. After a hung verdict sending the National Conference as single largest party with 28 seats, the Congress had held key to the government formation and its erstwhile coalition partner Peoples Democratic Party was obviously expecting continuation of alliance which had collapsed bitterly in June this year.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi late last evening obtained opinion of Pradesh Congress president Saifuddin Soz and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in New Delhi. This morning, the Congress president had a meeting with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh before meeting Omar Abdullah and giving assent to his coalition proposal.
Addressing the media after meeting the Congress president, Omar said in New Delhi, “I called on Sonia Gandhi and laid out the situation that has arisen out of the election verdict. I proposed to her that the cleanest formula would be a coalition government of the Congress and the National Conference. I am happy Sonia Gandhi accepted this proposal.”
“Till now, the only thing that has been decided is that I will head the government. The rest of the modalities will be finalised later,” he said.
On being asked about the modalities that have been worked out by both parties, Omar said, “We would sit down to discuss the details …no formalities have been worked out yet…..the committees of both the parties would be meeting soon to decide it.”
He further clarified that Congress support to NC would not be an external one and that the party would be very much a part of the government.
A jubilant Omar hoped that the coalition government will provide good governance to the people of Jammu & Kashmir, adding that they would be meeting the J&K Governor to stake claim for forming the government.
He was also quite upbeat about the alignment of his party with Congress when he said, “I am looking forward to working with Congress and for J&K people.”
However, he refused to divulge the information when asked if there is any power sharing deal being negotiated between the two parties.
Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan while explaining the development said, “We proposed a coalition government to Soniaji, which was accepted by her. Their will be a coalition government of the Congress and the National Conference in the state. Omar Abdullah will be the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir."
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