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October 12, 2002
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CWC authorises Sonia to take final decision on J&K

Election 2002 Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Ghulam Nabi Azad would be the chief minister in case the Congress forms the government in the state, party spokesman S Jailpal Reddy said in New Delhi on Friday night.

However, he remained non-committal on which party would form the government.

"These details are still to be worked out. These are early days. A couple of days are required to work out an arrangement," he said after an hour-long Congress Working Committee meeting.

The CWC authorised party president Sonia Gandhi to take a decision on the issue after talking to likeminded parties.

Asked about the possibility of the People's Democratic Party forming the government and Congress supporting it from outside, he said, "We cannot decide anything unilaterally."

Gandhi said after many years the Congress had got so many seats in J&K and the party had to honour that mandate.

Azad told the CWC that despite the National Conference's initial statement that it was not willing to form the government, it started the exercise of winning over independents after the return of outgoing Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah from his foreign tour.

"However, response to the NC overtures was literally zero," Reddy quoted Azad as saying.

Azad said in Jammu, six independents had pledged support to the Congress and had decided to be its associate members. Similar response was there from independents in the Kashmir valley, he said.

Replying to a question, Reddy said that PDP, Communist Party of India-Marxist, Panthers Party and independents were likeminded parties.

"Leaders of the Congress and the PDP are in continuous contact and are absolutely confident that very soon a stable government will be formed in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

In her opening remarks at the CWC, Gandhi complimented Azad for his "untiring work". She also had a word of praise for All India Congress Committee general secretary Ambika Soni for taking "special interest" in J&K.

Gandhi thanked the people for displaying extraordinary courage by participating in the polls in the face of threats from Pakistan-sponsored terrorists.

The outcome of the election had showed that the Congress was being favoured all over the country, she said.

The meeting also condoled the death of former AICC general secretary Ram Ratan Ram.

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