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Omar resigns as J&K CM, Guv accepts resignation

by IBNS 24 Dec 2014, 11:46 am

Jammu, Dec 24 (IBNS): After facing an embarrassing loss in the recently concluded Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, Omar Abdullah on Wednesday resigned as the Chief Minister of the northern state.

He met the state's Governor NN Vohra in the afternoon to tender his resignation.
 
According to a statement issued from the Rajbhawan, the Governor has accepted Abdullah's resignation and requested him to continue in office till alternative arrangements are made.
 
Soon after tendering his resignation, the 44-year-politician tweeted: "Bio changed :-)."
 
"6 years ago I drove in to stake my claim to form a government in J&K, now I'm driving in to resign. The wheel comes full circle," he posted earlier in the day.
 
Speaking to reporters after tendering his resignation, he said the onus of the government formation in the state lies on Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
 
His resignation comes as a result of the recently concluded assembly elections in which Abdullah's party National Conference (NC) won 17 seats, including two independents from Zanskar and Udhampur  supported by the party.
 
The poll result  saw BJP winning 25 seats, Indian National Congress winning 12 seats,  PDP winning the highest number of 28 seats and 7 seats were won by others in the 87-member assembly.
 
Abdullah, whose National Conference lost the polls by emerging third after the PDP and BJP, on Tuesday said he is not going to approach anyone to form a government though keeping the options open while his main opponent PDP said they are also in no hurry to cobble a government.
 
"I am not going to pick up the phone. I am not hungry for power. I am satisfied with the performance despite floods, hanging of Afzal Guru and other factors," said Abdullah who won one seat but lost another from where he had contested the assembly polls. 
 
While he lost from Sonwar, he won the Beerwah seat by a slender margin of 910 votes. 
 
Abdullah, when asked if he would in no way go with the BJP, did not reply clearly and said he is waiting for other parties like PDP to explore their options. 
 
He, however, said he is not averse to hearing other parties if they approach him.
 
Meanwhile, both BJP as well as the PDP is keeping all options open for them.
 
(With inputs from Saleem Iqbal Qadri)