Kashmir : Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Dr Farooq Abdullah has been reelected National Conference president on Monday. He had resigned last month and asked the party to elect new president. However the party rank and file insisted him to continue as the UT of Jammu and Kashmir was slated to go for elections anytime soon. National conference has also passed resolution in favour of restoration of article 370 and 35 A. In his address Farooq Abdullah told former J& CM and his son Omar Abdullah that he will have to contest the assembly elections.
The 85-year-old leader was unanimously elected the party's chief at the NC's delegate session held near the masoleum of party founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah at Naseem Bagh here. The day also marked the 117th birth anniversary of Sheikh Abdullah. NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar said only Abdullah's nomination was received till the last date of filing the nominations.
A total of 183 proposals from Kashmir, 396 from Jammu and 25 proposals from Ladakh were received in support of Farooq Abdullah. The senior leader had recently expressed a desire to step down from the post owing to his health. The party then set the presidential election process into motion and said the new president would be elected at the party's delegate session. It said the party's internal elections had already been concluded. The last NC presidential elections took place five years ago.
