The National Conference (NC)-led alliance has staked its claim to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir. National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhawan in Srinagar yesterday.

On the occasion, Mr Abdullah presented the letters of support from the coalition partners including, Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, CPI(M) and Independent members who recently won the assembly polls in the Union Territory. The election in Jammu and Kashmir was held in three phases for 90 Assembly Constituencies with a record voter turn-out after a long gap of ten years.

Talking to reporters after meeting the Lieutenant Governor, Omar Abdullah said, he has requested Mr Sinha to fix a date for the swearing-in ceremony.

During his meeting with Lieutenant Governor, Omar Abdullah presented the letters of support from the coalition partners, hours after Congress extended its support to the National Conference.

Earlier, Omar Abdullah was unanimously elected as the leader of NC legislature party on Thursday, paving the way for his second term as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. His first tenure as the Chief Minister was also as the head of the NC-Congress coalition government from 2009 to 2014.

Notably, this would be the first elected government in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A in 2019 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.