Designate J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah will head the state for a full six years as the Congress leadership on Friday formally dropped the idea of a rotational arrangement for the top job as it had done with the PDP earlier, settling for a deputy chief ministership and an equal share in ministerial portfolios.
Abdullah, who will be sworn in on January 5, asserted after a meeting with the Congress leadership here that there were no pre-conditions to the coalition and that he would head the state for its full term.
??The rotation issue did come up during the discussions but Congress President Sonia Gandhi was kind enough to understand the point of view that rotation was damaging to the state and created uncertainty and confusion,?? Omar told reporters on Friday. The Congress is expected to announce its candidate for deputy chief ministership, who will be from the Jammu region, on Saturday.
Omar, who was here to work out the nitty gritty of the new coalition government with Congress leaders maintained that the the choice of deputy chief minister was the prerogative of the Congress. ??It is purely an internal matter of the Congress… and I hope that person takes oath along with me.?? On the strength of his cabinet, Omar said ??About two leaders from my party and if Congress finds its appropriate their two ministers and deputy chief ministers will also take oath with us??.
The 38-year-old Omar, who would soon become J&K?s youngest chief minister, said the break-up of portfolios is yet to be decided. Meanwhile, Congress sources said that NC will soon join the UPA and that they had already written to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on the matter. The NC has two members in the Lok Sabha. The meeting at the South block was attended by Union ministers A K Antony, Saifuddin Soz, former J&K CM Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress in-charge for J&K affairs Prithviraj Chavan
