Omar to be next J-K CM, to form govt after NC-Congress pact

New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) After a gap of two decades, the
National Conference and Congress Tuesday sewed an alliance to
form a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir to be headed
by NC chief Omar Abdullah in which the national party will
also have representation.

The announcement of a NC-Congress pact under which
Omar will be the new chief minister came after he met Congress
president Sonia Gandhi here, two days after the NC emerged as
the single largest party with 27 seats. Congress has 17 seats
and the combine commands a strength of 45, one more than the
required majority in a House of 87.

Omar, who at 38 will be the border state's youngest chief
minister, said after the meeting the NC and the Congress will
be "equal partners" and that Congress will be a part of the
government and would not merely give outside support.

"This is going to be a government of partnership. It is
going to be a partnership, a coalition between the National
Conference and the Congress. We are equal partners. We have an
equal stake," said Omar, who is currently a Lok Sabha MP and
made a debut in the state assembly winning the Ganderbal seat.
Omar, who was educated in Mumbai and Scotland and has
Masters degree in Business Administration said, "it has been
decided that I will lead the coalition government in the state
of which Congress will be a part of."

Asked about the details of the new government and whether
it will be a three-year term each for NC and Congress, Omar
said a committee would be formed by both the parties to go
into the nitty-gritties of the alliance.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary and
party's J and K in-charge Prithiviraj Chavan said, "Omar
Abdullah called on Congress President and proposed formation
of a coalition government. The Congress President has accepted
the proposal. The government would be headed by Omar
Abdullah," said Chavan addressing reporters along with Omar.

Omar said he would decide on the date to take oath after
meeting Governor N N Vohra.

"There were no talks or formulation on the details,"
said Omar, the son of NC veteran Faroqq Abdullah, who has
thrice been the chief minister of the border state. The two
parties were part of an alliance previously in 1987.

"I look forward to working closely with the Congress
for the welfare and development of the people of Jammu and
Kashmir," said Omar, who made his debut to the state assembly
winning the Ganderbal seat which he had lost in 2002.

"The clearest and best formula and formulation was an
alliance of NC with the Congress as this required no
assistance from any other quarter," Omar said.

Among others who attended the meeting in the Capital
include former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union minister
and J and K Congress chief Saifuddin Soz and party General
Secretary Rahul Gandhi.

In Srinagar, NC patron Farooq Abdullah welcomed his
party and Congress forging a pact hoping it "will prove
everlasting".

"We (NC-Congress) have already been cooperating with each
other in the past because both parties have secular outlook
and I am confident the agreement between the two parties will
prove everlasting," Farooq told reporters at his residence.

He said the two parties were together during the times of
first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and NC founder
Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. "I as Chief Minister have done good
things for the people with the assistance of Congress."

The PDP said it was "not disappointed" over
the decision of the Congress to join a government led by
National Conference and maintained that the people of the
state have given it a mandate to play the role of a "good,
constructive opposition". The People's Democratic Party's
(PDP) comments came after the Congress rejected its overtures
to support any government that will be headed by the national
party. PTI