I will complete my full tenure, says Omar

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday asserted that he would continue for a full six-year term in office under an agreement with ally Congress that has been "signed, sealed and delivered".

Seeking to dispel doubts about his continuance in the wake of demands from state Congressmen that there should be a rotation of chief ministership, he said "any discussion (on the issue) will only prolong uncertainty which is not not in the interest of the state".

Omar told NDTV on the programme "Left, Right and Centre" that there was absolutely no no doubt in his mind that he would complete six years in office as Chief Minister.  "You can't have two or three year term as chief ministers will tend to get populist towards the end of their (partial) term. Distribution of chief ministership....I don't understand the logic of rotation of chief ministership.

"In Mufti Mohammed Saeed's time the Congress sacrificed for the alliance partner.  How come you don't talk about rotational chief ministership in Maharashtra but only talk about in J and K. It is a matter that has been signed, sealed and delivered and any discussion (on it) would only prolong the uncertainty which is not not in the interest of the state," he said.

Rebutting another participant's view that Congress indulges in the habit of destabilising alliance partners, Abdullah said it would be unfair to blame the whole Congress party for some talk by people at the lower levels. "I have had in fact the fullest of support from the Central government and Congress leaders, especially Sonia Gandhi, and others.

“Please don't fire from my shoulders," he told journalist and BJP MP Chandan Mitra. Asked about "pinpricks" from state Congress leaders, Abdullah said it did not not create any problems for him. "I am not not losing any sleep.  I know what was agreed in early 2009 and I am sure the Congress leadership will stand by it."

Asked about a newspaper report today suggesting that the Central government has asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to empower the newly-elected Panchayats, he said "it irritates me".

The Chief Minister asked why only Jammu and Kashmir was being singled out.  "I don't  understand...do other chief ministers get advised through newspapers....because they are asking me to do it it undermines my position."