Srinagar: Four independent legislators who were elected to the Jammu and Kashmir assembly from Jammu region have extended their support to the National Conference taking the NC-Congress alliance tally to 52.
NC vice president and leader of the NC legislature party Omar Abdullah said that four independent MLAs have also extended their support to the National Conference.
"The number of our party legislators has now increased to 46 after the four independents extended their support to us," Omar told repeaters on Thursday at party headquarters in Nawa-e-Subh.
With the Congress' six MLAs, the alliance tally has now increased to 52 legislators.
The independent MLAs include Pyare Lal Sharma from Inderwal assembly constituency of Doda district, Choudhary Akram from Surankote segment of Poonch district, Satish Sharma from Chhamb and Rameshwar Singh from Bani segment of Jammu region.
Pyare Lal Sharma said that he was originally a NC politician but contested the assembly elections as independent from Inderwal.
"I have extended unconditional support to the National Conference. The NC government will be of the people of Jammu and Kashmir," Sharma told ETV Bharat when asked about the conditions of his support.
NC sources said that to give representation to Chenab valley, which didn't elect any NC or Congress legislator in the elections, Sharma may be given a cabinet berth to represent the region.
Choudhary Akram said that he has offered unconditional support to NC. Akram had joined NC before the parliament elections and supported his close relative MP Mian Altaf of NC. But when he was denied a ticket in the assembly election to accommodate Congress candidate Shahnawaz Choudhary from Surankote, he left the party and contested as an independent. He won the polls and today extended support to NC.
Satish Sharma from Chamb was with Congress but contested as independent against Congress candidate and former deputy chief minister Tara Chand. Sharma won the election and today extended his support to NC.
Rameshwar Sharma was also an NC leader but he left the party after denial of ticket to him by the party to accommodate Congress candidate. Sharma won the triangular contest against BJP and Congress candidates and now extended support to NC.
Sources said both the Sharmas are likely to be given cabinet berths to give representation to Jammu which elected 29 BJP MLAs.
The NC and Congress alliance won 48 seats from Kashmir and Pir Panjal districts of Poonch and Rajouri, with NC tally at 42 and Congress at 6. Now with four independents MLAs, the next coalition government will have a stable strength of 52 legislators.
Omar said that the Congress will extend its support to him as chief ministerial candidate after the NC nominated him as legislator party leader today.
"We are holding talks with Congress to get the letter of support from the Congress. After receiving the letter from Congress, we will go to the Raj Bhavan to stake claim for government formation," Omar said.
Omar told ETV Bharat on Wednesday that by Sunday or Monday he and his cabinet will take oath after meeting the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
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