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Onkar Singh in Srinagar
National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Monday said he would not sit back and watch if the Congress and the People's Democratic Party failed to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir.
"The mandate is not with us. So we will watch the Congress and People's Democratic Party form a new government. But if they fail... I will form the government in the interest of the state," the former chief minister told rediff.com in Srinagar on Monday.
He said his son Omar, in his capacity as the NC president, had met Governor Girish Chandra Saxena on Monday.
"It is constitutional propriety that being the single largest party [with 28 legislators in the 87-member assembly] NC should be invited to form the government. We have had a meeting with the governor and we should be given time to explore the possibility of forming the government," he said.
Asked if the state was heading for governor's rule, he said, "As a democrat this would be the last option on my mind. The people of the state need a popular government."
He admitted that the era of coalition government had reached the state.
Abdullah also took the blame for the defeat of Omar from Ganderbal constituency.
"I think there must have been lack of something in me that he lost the elections from Ganderbal. He took over the party only three months ago. I feel personally responsible for his defeat. The people have given their verdict and we should gracefully accept that," he added.
Asked if he had handed over the reins to Omar too early, he said, "No. The time was right to hand him over the presidentship of the party. This is the way parties function. Whether I should have handed him the party after the elections is a matter of introspection."
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