J-K: NC’s Omar Abdullah Stakes Claim To Form Govt, Seeks Oath Date From LG As Cong, AAP, CPI(M) Extend Support

Earlier today, Farooq Abdullah had said that the INDIA bloc will seek time from the Raj Bhavan to stake claim for government formation.

National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah met J&K LG Manoj Sinha on October 11 to stake claim to form the government.

Source : ANI

National Conference (NC)-led alliance on Friday staked claim to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370. Chief Minister-designate and NC vice president Omar Abdullah met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on October 11 at Raj Bhavan to present the letters of support from coalition partners — Congress, CPI (M), AAP, and four Independents.

The development came after the Congress Legislature Party on Friday extended support to the NC for government formation in the Union Territory. Abdullah indicated that the oath-taking ceremony might take place on Wednesday, October 16.

#WATCH | Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah leaves for Raj Bhavan from his residence in Srinagar.

He will stake claim to form the government. pic.twitter.com/83QrT4muwn

— ANI (@ANI) October 11, 2024

After meeting LG Manoj Sinha, Omar Abdullah said that he has requested the LG to fix a date for the oath-taking ceremony so that the government can proceed with its functioning. 

 

"I met the LG and handed over letters of support that I have received from the Congress, CPM, AAP and independents. I requested him to fix a date for the swearing-in ceremony so that the government can start functioning. It will be a long process as there is Centre rule here. The LG will first send the documents to Rashtrapati Bhawan and then to Home Ministry. We have been told it will take 2-3 days. So if it happens before Tuesday, we will have the swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday... All I want to say is that Jammu will not be ignored in this government," Abdullah said.

#WATCH | Srinagar: After meeting LG Manoj Sinha, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah says, "I met the LG and handed over letters of support that I have received from the Congress, CPM, AAP and independents. I requested him to fix a date for the… pic.twitter.com/ecF6EBgCur

— ANI (@ANI) October 11, 2024

Omar Abdullah was unanimously elected the leader of the NC Legislature Party on Thursday, setting the stage for another term as the J&K CM after his first tenure from 2009-2014.  The NC had won 42 out of the 90 seats, while the Congress managed to win six. LG Sinha will be appointing five MLAs, making it a 95-member assembly.

 

Earlier today, NC President Farooq Abdullah said that he will seek time from the Raj Bhavan to stake claim for J&K government formation.

He also expressed hope that the NC-Congress alliance, of which CPI(M) is also a part, will be given sufficient time to inform their friends to attend the oath-taking ceremony.

"The LG is coming (to the Valley). We will ask for time tomorrow and present the letter of support and seek a date for swearing-in ceremony for the new government," he told reporters here.

VIDEO | “We will ask Lieutenant Governor (Manoj Sinha) for an appointment and probably go to him tomorrow with a letter of support (from alliance partners). We will request him to give us a date for the swearing-in ceremony and forming the government,” says JKNC president Farooq… pic.twitter.com/RSdQZawIHh

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 11, 2024

Abdullah said that the alliance needs to earn the trust of the J&K people and overcome the false propaganda being spread in the UT. He also asked for Centre's cooperation to tackle the issues people are facing in J&K, news agency PTI reported.

"It is not their (people of Jammu) fault, they have been fed that stone-pelting will start and terrorism will increase, but they have not realised that their lands have been taken, jobs have been taken, everything has vanished, but they have still fallen for their propaganda. We want to clear this propaganda from their hearts. We want to live in prosperity. There are many big problems which we are facing which we have to counter together. And in this we need the cooperation from the Central government," he said.

"The statehood should be restored so that the government can work. After all, this is the crown of India. If the crown is not shining, how will the country shine," the NC chief added.

Farooq Abdullah also agreed that it might be possible that the government in a union territory setup might have limited powers. "That is why we are seeking restoration of statehood so that the government is able to work," he said.

He also clarified that there were no differences with NC's the alliance partner Congress on the government formation.

J&K Congress MLAs Leave Decision To Nominate CLP Leader On Party's High Command

The Jammu and Kashmir Congress on Friday left the decision of nominating the leader of legislature party in the assembly to the Congress' central leadership in New Delhi. CLP also extended support to the National Conference for government formation in J&K.

"Today, we had a CLP meeting in which we unanimously decided to give the right to the central leadership to take the call on the CLP leader. We have passed a resolution on the issue and that has been forwarded to the central leadership for taking the call," Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariq Hameed Karra told reporters after the CLP meeting in Srinagar.

The meeting of the six newly elected MLAs including Karra, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Nizamuddin Bhat, Irfan Hafeez Lone, and Iftikar Ahmad, was held in the party headquarters at MA Road.

Karra had said that the letter of support will be given to the NC leadership on October 11.

Responding to the question on why the decision was left to the Congress high command, Karra said, "there were no differences on the choice of the CLP leader, but there is a precedent in the INC (Indian National Congress) to do that... this is nothing abnormal for the INC."

To a question whether the party has any demands for extending supporting to the NC, the JKPCC chief said that they did not make any demands and wants to maintain the spirit of the INDIA bloc for the people.

On whether the party accepts Omar Abdullah, who has been elected as the legislature party leader of NC, as the chief ministerial candidate, Karra said, "When the NC has elected its leader, why should we comment? He is acceptable to us. It is their choice."