4 Independent MLAs Extend Support to Omar Abdullah’s Party Ensuring Its Majority

New Delhi: Four independent MLAs extended support to the National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir easing the path for the NC-Congress alliance to form government in the Union Territory.

The National Conference now has the support of 46 MLAs in the 90-member Assembly. It does not include the five to be nominated by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

Pyare Lal Sharma, Satish Sharma, Choudhary Mohammed Akram, and Dr Rameshwar Singh – who won the Inderwal, Chhamb, Surankote, and Bani seats – have supported the NC.

The Congress has been relegated from a junior partner in the incoming Jammu and Kashmir government as it has only won in six seats. The support of independent MLAs means that NC

does not need the Congress’ support to govern.

Yet, the NC has a slim margin. The loss of even of even one MLA drops the NC below the threshold and the Congress’ six seats can be the saviour if it manages to keep its six MLAs away from possible defection.

The NC won 42 seats and the Congress six.

In another development, in a meeting of NC MLAs on Thursday afternoon, Omar Abdullah was unanimously elected the legislative party leader to become the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.