Following decisions taken at a meeting between the National Conference (NC) president Omar Abdullah and the president of the Indian National Congress (INC), the National Conference and the Congress party are all set to form a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir with Omar Abdullah as its chief minister. This should set at rest any speculation regarding Farooq Abdullah’s ambition of becoming the chief minister.

The new government is likely to be formed before January 10, 2009 when the Governor’s rule ends. When Omar Abdullah takes the oath of office, he will become the youngest serving chief minister in India at the age of 38. The details of the coalition arrangement will be worked out by an eight member committee consisting of four members from each party.

In 87 member J&K assembly the National Conference and the Indian National Congress have the magic number between them. While the NC has retained it 2002 tally of 28 seats emerging as the single largest party, Congress has won only 17 seats against its 2002 tally of 20 seats. The losses suffered by Congress can be attributed to its flip-flop on the Amar Nath shrine row trying to please both the communities and ending up pleasing neither. But, put together, they have 45 seats which crosses the simple majority of 44 seats.

Though the separatists backed People’s Democratic Party improved its tally from 16 seats in 2002 to 21 seats, forming the government is a far cry for them in view of the emerging alliances. The PDP’s line on the Amar Nath shrine row was far from ethical. The Amar Nath shrine row has cast a long shadow. It was this issue that revived the separatist tendencies in the valley after a long time and gave rise to strident demands by the separatists.

Gaining from the polarization resulting from the prolonged protests, bandhs and violence spearheaded by the Bharatiya Janata Party in the wake of the Amar Nath shrine row, the BJP has improved its tally from 1 seat in 2002 to 11 seats. Independents accounted for 10 seats who are at liberty to join the ruling coalition.

This election is important for two reasons. One, there were 1354 candidates in the fray—the largest ever for the 87 seats in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir also saw a 60.5% voter turnout this time which is the highest voter turnout since 1987. This happened in defiance of the boycott calls by separatist groups and the fear of the gun in the valley.

We cannot have a more secular leader for Jammu and Kashmir. Omar Abdullah is the son of a Muslim father and a Christian mother. His wife Payal and brother-in-law Sachin Pilot are both Hindus. Omar believes in operating within the framework of the Indian constitution.

This should send out a strong message to the separatists that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have faith and confidence in its democratically elected government within the framework of the Indian Constitution.