Omar Abdullah to head NC-Congress govt in J&K

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah will be the new chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Congress will be a part of the government, Omar said, emerging from a meeting with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The 38-year-old leader said, "It has been decided that I will lead the coalition government in the state of which Congress will be a part of."

The meeting took place against the backdrop of both National Conference and the People's Democratic Party initially showing the inclination to form the government in the state and Congress having a rethink on whether it should support NC or PDP.

Congress and NC were last part of an alliance in the state in 1987.

AICC General Secretary and J and K in-charge of the party, 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.

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

Omar, who will be the state's youngest chief minister, said, "The clearest and best formula and formulation was an alliance of NC with the Congress as this required no assistance from any other quarter."

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

"There were no talks or formulation on the details," he said.

To a query as to when he would take the oath as the new chief minister, Omar said it would be decided only after a meeting with Governor N N Vohra.

Omar said Congress will be a part of the government and would not merely give outside support.

"I look forward to working closely with the congress for the welfare and development of the people of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

Soz said it was a great opportunity for Omar to provide good governance to the state.