The National Conference (NC) today chose its 38-year-old president Omar Abdullah to be the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Omar left for Delhi late afternoon to discuss the formation of a coalition government with the Congress. The two parties have been in touch since yesterday, and NC patron and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah flew to Delhi before Omar to carry forward talks.Celebrations began at Omar’s Gupkar home immediately after the senior Abdullah withdrew his earlier claim to the Chief Minister’s post in favour of his son. Newly-elected NC lawmakers elected Omar leader of the legislative party soon after.In his softly-lit personal office, Omar met his MLAs. He hugged Javaid Dar tightly, announcing proudly to others, “He defeated two former cabinet ministers”. Omar’s uncle Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, who lost the election at Gulmarg, dropped in with sweets and a hug for his nephew. “Congrats and all the best to you,” Kamal said. Omar said an alliance with the Congress would not dilute the NC’s political ideology. “The political ideology will remain the same. We are entitled to our opinion and will work to take the agenda of the party forward in a coalition government too,” he told The Indian Express.He said he was happy to be nominated his party’s chief ministerial candidate. “But at the same time I am also worried. The road ahead is very difficult.”Outside, hundreds of party workers were thronging the gates of the heavily-guarded house. As Omar emerged in a traditional pheran, a surge of men and women fell over each other to hug, kiss and garland him. “I am thankful to you for giving the NC a chance to rule,” he told the gathering amid cheers. “Though this time we cannot form the government on our own, in the next two or three days you will get the good news that the NC is back in power.” He added that the NC needed to take serious steps to overhaul the party in south Kashmir where it received a severe drubbing at the hands of the PDP. “I will not hesitate to take extreme steps to revive the party in south Kashmir,” Omar said. Among the workers and supporters come to congratulate him were those from Ganderbal, the traditional Abdullah family seat, which Omar won back from the PDP in these elections. It was a victory of great symbolic significance: Ganderbal is to Omar’s family as Amethi is to the Gandhis. The NC’s legendary founder, Sheikh Abdullah, fought and won with a huge margin from Ganderbal in1977, and his son Farooq Abdullah won in 1983, 1987 and 1996.
