National Conference chief Omar Abdullah, who is all set to become the youngest Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, today favoured continuation of the peace process in the state.
"I am always in favour of dialogue and I want it to continue," Omar said responding to questions after a 20-minutes meeting with Union Home Minister P Chidambaram.
Describing his meeting with Chidambaram as a courtesy call, Omar said he sought support, help and advise from the Home ministry as the mandate of the people was for peace and progress.
The NC president said Chidambaram assured him all necessary help so that the state could get rid of its problems.
"The Home Minister said both of us now will work in tandem," he said.
Omar, who was educated in Mumbai and Scotland and has Masters degree in Business Administration, said Congress will be a part of the government and would not merely give outside support.
"I look forward to working closely with the Congress for the welfare and development of the people of Jammu and Kashmir," said Omar, who made his debut to the state assembly winning the Ganderbal seat whichhe had lost in 2002.
Among others who attended the meeting in the Capital include former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union minister and J and K Congress chief Saifuddin Soz and party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi.
"The clearest and best formula and formulation was an alliance of NC with the Congress as this required no assistance from any other quarter," Omar said.
To a query as to when he would take the oath as the new CM, Omar said it would be decided only after a meeting with Governor N N Vohra.
Soz said it was a great opportunity for Omar to provide good governance to the state.
In Srinagar, the PDP said it was "not disappointed" over the decision of the Congress to join a government led by National Conference and maintained that the people of the state have given it a mandate to play the role of a "good, constructive opposition". The PDP's comments came after the Congress rejected its overtures to support any government that will be headed by the national party.
"We are happy that we are finally going to see a democratically elected government sooner than later and we have always been saying that people have given us a mandate to play the role of good, constructive opposition and we will do that," PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said shortly after the announcement in New Delhi that Omar Abdullah will be the state's new Chief Minister.
