INDIA bloc will stake claim to form Govt in J&K: Omar

Srinagar, Oct 8: National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah 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 LG for government formation," Omar Abdullah added.

The NC leader said the mandate proves that the people have voted against the BJP's politics in Jammu and Kashmir.

"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.

The former chief minister won the Ganderbal and Budgam seats, defeating his nearest rivals from the PDP by over 10,000 votes and 18,000 votes, respectively.

"There were attempts to destroy the NC over the last five years. So many parties were created here, whose only aim was to destroy the NC. But, God's grace has been on us and those who tried to destroy us, have been decimated in the process," Abdullah told reporters after receiving his winning certificate from the returning officer for the Budgam seat.

"I am thankful to the voters in Budgam for voting for me, making me successful and allowing me to serve the people of J&K once again," he said.

Abdullah said the verdict has increased the party's responsibilities.

"It is our duty now to come up to the expectations of the people through our work and that is what our endeavour would be for the next five years," he added.

He also expressed gratitude to PDP president Mehbooba Mufti after she congratulated the NC for the spectacular win.

Abdullah also said he expects Prime Minister Narendra Modi to do the "honourable thing" by restoring the statehood to J&K.

"A lot of things can be done as a Union Territory, clearly some things can't but we expect that J&K will not remain a UT forever. We expect the honourable PM will do the honourable thing and return statehood to JK at the earliest and then the rest of our manifesto will be implemented," the NC vice president said.

Abdullah expressed hope that the PM will fulfil his promise of restoring statehood to the people of the UT.

“The PM, the Home Minister, they are all honourable men. In their speeches and interventions in Parliament, through their representative in the Supreme Court, they have promised restoration of statehood. So I believe it should happen at the earliest. And then obviously our priorities will go forward from there," he said.

Abdullah said that the J&K government cannot afford to have an antagonistic relation with the Centre.

“Once the new government is in place, whoever the chief minister of J&K is, I would expect them to travel to Delhi to meet the PM, the home minister and other leaders to impress upon them that the mandate of the people of J&K was for restoration of statehood, was for development and peace and whoever the CM is, I hope they are able to establish a decent working relationship with the GoI,” he said.

“There are far too many problems that J&K has and it cannot afford an antagonistic relationship with the Central government. We will have to find a way of working together, and I hope that the Union government will respect the mandate of the people and will work together with the government of J&K to resolve the problems of the people,” Abdullah said.