NC will form next Govt in J&K: Farooq

Jammu, May 24: National Conference president and Member Parliament Dr Farooq Abdullah on Friday asserted that his party will form next government in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

"We are hopeful of forming next government in the state," Dr Abdullah here told reporters on his arrival from Srinagar after again being elected as Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency.

National Conference has won all the three seats of Kashmir valley.

"People have given us the three parliamentary seats and have showed faith in us. National Conference will keep their trust and always stand by them," said Dr Abdullah.

Jammu and Kashmir is presently under President’s Rule, which was imposed in December last year. Governor Rule was imposed in June 2018 after BJP pulled out of the government by divorcing its coalition partner Peoples Democratic Party.

On a question that BJP has said that they will form next government in the state, Dr Abdullah said, "it is not the BJP to decide but the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh will choose their next chief minister."

On alliance with the BJP, he said, "don’t you want NC to form government on its own? We will form our own government in the state."

However, on Indo-Pak relation after Prime Minister Narendra Modi steering BJP to power once again, the National Conference stalwart said, "Mr Modi have to change himself."

"If you (Mr Modi) want to save the nation, you have to join hands with your neighbour," he added and said, "we both (India-Pakistan) are sailing in the same boat. They (Pakistan) also have worst situation. We cannot raise guns every time at each other."

There are no roads, water, electricity and similar is the situation in India, he added and said, "we must think of making the nation developed."

"Nobody can progress being an enemy rather they (Centre) have to find out a solution with the Pakistan," said the former chief minister.

"If we want to make India a secular and developed nation, we have to be on the same page and save the nation with development and progress by leaving aside the gun culture," said Dr Abdullah.