First business of the new cabinet should be to pass a resolution asking for statehood: Omar

Srinagar, Oct 10 (Representative) National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that the first business of the new Cabinet should be to pass a resolution asking to restore the statehood.He said the new Chief Minister should travel to Delhi with the resolution and call on the senior leadership of the country and ask them to fulfill their promise. Omar, who is likely to be next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, also emphasized that the new government will represent every citizen of the region, irrespective of whom they voted for, or whether they voted at all.Speaking to the media, Omar stressed that the government will not just be of the National Conference or its alliance but will be inclusive of all, especially focusing on areas where fewer coalition MLAs were elected.The NC Vice President also revealed that discussions are ongoing with several independent MLAs about their joining in the National Conference. “A few have spoken to us, and talks with them are still in progress,” he said.Regarding the timeline for government formation, Omar indicated that a legislative party meeting of the elected members is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by an alliance meeting to decide on the leader of the coalition. “The leader of the alliance, as assumed, will take the letter of support and go to Raj Bhawan to stake a claim and request the Lieutenant Governor to fix a date for the swearing-in ceremony. I would like that to happen as soon as possible because we have been without an elected government since 2018. The time has come to get back to work,” he added. When asked about his father, National Conference President Farooq Abdullah, naming him as the next Chief Minister, Omar expressed gratitude but clarified that the decision lies with the elected legislators and the alliance.“I love my father dearly and appreciate the confidence he has placed in me. However, the procedure must be followed, and it’s up to the elected members and the alliance to make the final decision,” the former J&K CM stated.

When asked what his first priority would be, Omar refrained from making hypothetical statements. However, he said that the incoming government’s focus should be on passing a resolution to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood. “The Chief Minister should travel to Delhi with that resolution, meet with the senior leadership of the country, and ask them to fulfill their promise. The Prime Minister and Home Minister have promised to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, and we hope that will be done soon,” he said.Omar was clear that the restoration of statehood was a promise made to Jammu and Kashmir, regardless of the political party in power. “They didn’t say statehood would be restored only to a BJP government. It was promised to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he stressed.The NC Vice President reiterated that the party will not remain silent on the restoration of Article 370, although it has no illusions about the immediate prospects. “We are not going to mislead people. I have often said that those who took Article 370 away from us are not going to restore it voluntarily. But we will keep the issue alive, and we will continue to talk about it. Perhaps someday, the political leadership at the center will change, and we will have the opportunity to negotiate something meaningful for Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. Earlier the day, Omar said that voters acted with careful consideration, particularly in regions where attempts were made to divide the vote by fielding independent candidates and small parties. “The voters of Kashmir, along with the Pahari community in Jammu, courageously resisted these conspiracies,” he said, adding that, “More than 40 percent of the candidates contesting the elections were independents, but except for two or three, all failed to win.” “Our responsibility starts now. The voters have done their duty, and it is our turn to work and prove ourselves worthy of their trust,” he added.