'In true spirit of...': Omar Abdullah responds to PM Modi's congratulatory message on J&K victory

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah during a press conference addressed by his father and party President Farooq Abdullah amid counting of votes of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, in Srinagar.

National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Tuesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for congratulating the party on its victory in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. Omar Abdullah replied to a congratulatory message posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X congratulating the National Conference for victory in the Jammu-Kashmir assembly elections.

Omar Abdullah took to X and wrote," Thank you very much for your message of congratulations @narendramodi sahib. We look forward to a constructive relationship in the true spirit of federalism so that the people of J&K may benefit from continued development & good governance. Earlier PM Modi also wrote on X congratulating National Conference for the victory in the Jammu-Kashmir assembly elections and wrote, "I would like to compliment JKNC for their commendable performance in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections."

Thank you very much for your message of congratulations @narendramodi sahib. We look forward to a constructive relationship in the true spirit of federalism so that the people of J&K may benefit from continued development & good governance. https://t.co/xOYBdwj3O3 Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 8, 2024

Omar Abdullah on Tuesday also said the INDIA bloc will stake claim to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir only after the alliance partners meet to elect the leader of the coalition in the assembly. "Let the NC legislative party meet, I am not staking a claim to the chief ministership of J-K. It is for the alliance and the elected members to decide who they feel should lead the state over the next five years, and that is as far as I am willing to go," Abdullah told reporters outside his residence. His remarks came after his father and NC president Farooq Abdullah announced Omar would be the chief minister.

The junior Abdullah said that as grateful as he was for the vote of confidence reposed in him by the NC president, "this is a decision for the legislative party of the NC" and a decision to be taken by the allies together. "In a couple of days, we will call our legislative party meet where the NC legislative party leader will be elected. Then, we will sit with the alliance to decide who will head it. Then, when we have all the letters of support, we will stake our claim to the LG for government formation," Omar Abdullah added.

Omar Abdullah won the party's bastion of Ganderbal in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly election by defeating PDP's Bashir Ahmad Mir by over 10,000 votes. Abdullah has also won the Budgam seat by a margin of over 18,000 votes.

*With Agency Inputs