National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah tonight jumped into the chief ministerial race saying he will head a potential NC-Congress government in Jammu and Kashmir, hours after indicating that his son Omar Abdullah would get the top job.
Answering a flurry of questions on the chief ministership, Abdullah declared he would be the next chief minister. The 72-year-old veteran has been chief minister during three spells between 1982 and 2002.
The National Conference projected him as the chief ministerial candidate before the elections and the party stood by that and there is no change in that stand, Farooq said.
Farooq's statement is at variance with his pre-poll stand that he would accept the chief ministership only if his party obtained absolute majority on its own.
With the NC failing to obtain an absolute majority, the expectation in political circles was that Farooq's 38-year-old son Omar would head the coalition which is expected to be backed by the Congress.