The National Conference (NC) and Congress alliance took a significant step on Friday by formally staking their claim to govern Jammu and Kashmir. Chief Minister-designate Omar Abdullah met with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to present the coalition’s letters of support, just hours after Congress publicly backed Abdullah.
Abdullah’s election as the leader of the NC legislature party on Thursday cleared the path for his return as chief minister. He previously held the position from 2009 to 2014, leading a similar NC-Congress coalition.
In the recent elections, the NC won 42 out of the 90 seats contested in three phases, while Congress secured six seats. With the support of four Independent legislators and the only Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA, the coalition boasts a solid majority in the 95-member House.
After his meeting at the Raj Bhawan, Abdullah spoke to reporters, expressing urgency for the swearing-in ceremony. “I met the LG and presented the letters of support from the NC, Congress, CPI(M), AAP, and Independents who have backed us. I requested him to fix a date as soon as possible so that the government elected by the people can start functioning,” he stated.
Abdullah indicated that the oath ceremony is tentatively set for Wednesday, although he acknowledged some delays. “This process will take some time. It’s not an elected government replacing another elected government; we are under central rule, and the LG has to prepare documents to send to Rashtrapati Bhavan,” he explained.
He further clarified the steps involved: “From Rashtrapati Bhavan, the documents will go to the Home Ministry for processing, and then they will be sent back. We’ve been informed it will take at least two to three days. I hope this process can be completed quickly, allowing us to hold the oath ceremony on Wednesday.”
Earlier on Friday, the six Congress MLAs convened to authorize the party’s high command in New Delhi to select the leader of their legislature party. JKPCC President Tariq Karra announced that the meeting unanimously decided to delegate this important decision to the central leadership.