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The numbers game continued in Jammu and Kashmir with a group of independents that holds the key to government formation giving an ultimatum to the main players - Congress and PDP - to resolve their differences by Sunday failing which they threatened to approach the National Conference for support to form the government.
NC leader Farooq Abdullah has reacted positively saying his party was not averse to such a possibility.
In the course of the day, Abdullah met Governor G C Saxena to tell him that he would not like to continue as chief minister beyond Thursday, when the six-year term of the outgoing assembly expired. The governor asked Abdullah to stay put till alternative arrangements are made and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee also stepped in to urge Abdullah to continue.
The governor has given the various parties time till October 21 to come up with an alliance with the requisite numbers to form a government. However, there was no visible activity in the Congress and the PDP to resolve the contentious issue of the chief minister's post.
Pradesh Congress Committee president and chief ministerial candidate Ghulam Nabi Azad cancelled his trip to Delhi and held consultations with local party leaders.
In what is seen as a pressure tactic, the seven MLAs belonging to the Democratic People's Forum, claiming they had the support of seven more legislators, set a October 20 deadline for the Congress and the PDP to resolve contentious issues.
The two parties were accused of adopting a 'rigid stand' on the chief minister's post.
"In case, they fail to iron out their differences, we will ask for outside support from the NC to form a government," said Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Sofi, the leader of the party.
Reacting, Abdullah told mediapersons that the NC, which was voted out of power, was willing to consider support to any group of independents wanting to form a government.
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