The Hindu : Front Page : Farooq is NC’s choice for Chief Minister’s post again

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Saturday, Nov 17, 2007
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Farooq is NC’s choice for Chief Minister’s post again

Staff Reporter

J&K Assembly elections likely during April-June

Farooq Abdullah

Jammu: Farooq Abdullah, who has been Chief Minister thrice, will be the National Conference’s choice for the post again if it wins in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections next year. The announcement was made by party president Omar Abdullah on Thursday evening.

Dr. Farooq Abdullah had been a Chief Minister in the early 1980s before losing power to G.M. Shah’s Awami National Conference as many party legislators in the Farooq camp switched sides. He returned to power in 1987 in a controversial power-sharing mechanism with the Congress which later came to be described as the most unpopular act of his party. He came to power in 1996 after his party got a two-thirds majority in the democratic process.

The Assembly elections would in all likelihood be held within six months due to various reasons.

The present Assembly finishes its term on October 9, 2008 and the Constitution mandates that the election be held before this.

The holy month of Ramzan falls in September next year making it difficult for the Election Commission to hold elections during the period of fasting.

The Amarnath pilgrimage starts in June and continues till the last week of August. This becomes the focus of the security apparatus. Before April, the elections cannot be conducted due to severe winters.

The elections can be held in several phases between April and June.

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