4 Independents extend support, Omar Abdullah’s Party reaches majority in J&K
Shadow Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 10 :
National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah was unanimously elected as Legislature Party Leader (LPL) on Thursday, a big step towards formation of the first elected government in a decade in Jammu and Kashmir.
The newly-elected legislators of NC participated in a meeting in Srinagar during which Omar’s election as Legislature Party Leader (LPL) was approved.
“I am thankful to party legislators for electing me as their leader,” Omar told reporters after the meeting.
“We have also got the support of four Independents and we are waiting for the letter from our alliance partner Congress so as to stake a claim for government formation,” he said.
Omar said once he gets the letter from the Congress, he will call on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to fix a date for government formation.
After the legislature party’s meeting, senior party leader and MLA Ali Mohammed Sagar announced that Omar has been elected as LPL.
“Omar has been unanimously elected the Legislature Party Leader,” Sagar said and added “there is none except Omar Abdullah to take the reins of the government soon… and he will be the next Chief Minister”.
In the 90-member Assembly, the National Conference secured 42 seats in the recent election. The INDIA bloc has a tally of 49.
Four independent legislators who were elected to the Jammu and Kashmir assembly from Jammu region have extended their support to the National Conference taking the NC-Congress alliance tally to 52.
NC vice president and leader of the NC legislature party Omar Abdullah said that four independent MLAs have also extended their support to the National Conference.
“The number of our party legislators has now increased to 46 after the four independents extended their support to us,” Omar told repeaters on Thursday at party headquarters in Nawa-e-Subh.
With the Congress’ six MLAs, the alliance tally has now increased to 52 legislators.
The independent MLAs include Pyare Lal Sharma from Inderwal assembly constituency of Doda district, Choudhary Akram from Surankote segment of Poonch district, Satish Sharma from Chhamb and Rameshwar Singh from Bani segment of Jammu region.
Pyare Lal Sharma said that he was originally a NC politician but contested the assembly elections as independent from Inderwal.
“I have extended unconditional support to the National Conference. The NC government will be of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Sharma told ETV Bharat when asked about the conditions of his support.
NC sources said that to give representation to Chenab valley, which didn’t elect any NC or Congress legislator in the elections, Sharma may be given a cabinet berth to represent the region.
Choudhary Akram said that he has offered unconditional support to NC. Akram had joined NC before the parliament elections and supported his close relative MP Mian Altaf of NC. But when he was denied a ticket in the assembly election to accommodate Congress candidate Shahnawaz Choudhary from Surankote, he left the party and contested as an independent. He won the polls and today extended support to NC.
Satish Sharma from Chamb was with Congress but contested as independent against Congress candidate and former deputy chief minister Tara Chand. Sharma won the election and today extended his support to NC.
Rameshwar Sharma was also an NC leader but he left the party after denial of ticket to him by the party to accommodate Congress candidate. Sharma won the triangular contest against BJP and Congress candidates and now extended support to NC.
Sources said both the Sharmas are likely to be given cabinet berths to give representation to Jammu which elected 29 BJP MLAs.
The NC and Congress alliance won 48 seats from Kashmir and Pir Panjal districts of Poonch and Rajouri, with NC tally at 42 and Congress at 6. Now with four independents MLAs, the next coalition government will have a stable strength of 52 legislators.
Omar said that the Congress will extend its support to him as chief ministerial candidate after the NC nominated him as legislator party leader today.
“We are holding talks with Congress to get the letter of support from the Congress. After receiving the letter from Congress, we will go to the Raj Bhavan to stake claim for government formation,” Omar said.
Omar told ETV Bharat on Wednesday that by Sunday or Monday he and his cabinet will take oath after meeting the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
