‘I have done my job’: Farooq Abdullah on becoming chief minister

Srinagar: NC leader and ex-Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah said Monday that the National Conference is willing to form post-poll alliance with the rival People's Democratic Party for keeping the BJP out of power in Jammu and Kashmir.

Referring to taking PDP onboard Abdullah told reporters ‘We can be rivals in elections but I have no objections. I am sure Congress will not either’.

The 86-year-old said he would not stake claim to become chief minister saying that ‘ I have done my job’, adding that he was concerned about making a strong government.

Welcoming independent MLAs, he said he had no issues approaching them for support but he would not ‘go beg before them’.

Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's party PDP contested polls independently after efforts to make it part of the NC-Congress alliance failed over differences in sharing seats.

Abdullah’s invitation comes after exit polls predicted a hung Assembly with the PDP likely to playing crucial role in forming government.

Exit polls predicted the NC-Congress alliance would fall short of majority mark of 46 seats in the 90-member House.

However, PDP was predicted to win between four and 12 seats becoming a crucial factor in the polls.

The updates from the counting stations show the Congress-National Conference alliance taking a big lead with 48 seats, leaving the BJP in 28 seats in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.

The first polls since Article 370 was scrapped in August 2019 gathered immense importance with poll pundits predicting a tight race in the former state's 95 Assembly seats.

Ex-Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s The People's Democratic Party was leading in four seats.