Before the coalition partner Congress formally offered the letter of support, the National Conference achieved a majority in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly as four Independent MLAs extended unconditional support to the party.
The National Conference has won 42 seats in the 90-member assembly, having a majority mark of 46. With the support of four Independents the National Conference achieved the majority number of 46.
Congress rebel Satish Sharma, who won the election from the Chhamb assembly segment of Jammu district as an Independent candidate by defeating former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, has extended support to the National Conference in the formation of government in Jammu and Kashmir.
Notably, Tara Chand is a senior leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Congress and was adamant about contesting on the Chhamb assembly segment.
Dr. Rameshwar Singh, the Independent MLA from the Bani assembly segment of Kathua district, has also extended unconditional support to the National Conference.
Other two Independent MLAs who offered unconditional support to the National Conference are Choudhary Mohammad Akram of Surankote Poonch and Pyare Lal Sharma from Inderwal Kishtwar.
Both these leaders contested elections as rebels of the National Conference because their assembly seats were allotted to the Congress party as per seat agreement between both parties.
NC does not require Cong support to achieve a majority
After getting the unconditional support of four Independents the National Conference does not require the support of Congress to secure a majority in the 90-member legislative assembly.
After the declaration of the result, the Congress was considered a junior partner in the coalition government but with today's development, the Grand-old Party has been relegated to a non-entity in the coalition.
The CPI(M) MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami is also likely to support the National Conference.
Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah thanked the National Conference (NC) legislators on Thursday for electing him their leader so that he can stake claim to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir.
"A meeting of the National Conference legislature party took place, the legislature party has decided its leader and I am thankful from the bottom of my heart to the NC legislators that they have reposed their faith in me and given me a chance to stake a claim for government formation," Abdullah told reporters after he was elected the leader of the legislature party here.
He said that talks were on with the Congress and they have been given a day to decide. "Once they give us a letter of support, I will stake a claim for government formation," Omar said.
