Omar Abdullah, 38-year-old president of the National Conference (NC), will be the country’s youngest currently serving Chief Minister. The NC and Congress agreed to form a coalition government in Jammu & Kashmir after a 45-minute meeting between Omar and Congress president Sonia Gandhi at 10 Janpath today.

Details of the arrangement will be worked out by an eight-member committee of four representatives from each side. The NC will have former ministers Mohammad Shafi, Abdul Raheem Rather, Ajay Sadhotra and Mian Altaf on the panel, Omar said. Congress general secretary in charge of J&K Prithviraj Chavan, state Congress president Saifuddin Soz and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad are likely to be among those representing the other side.

Sources in the two parties said Omar is likely to have a Congress leader from Jammu as Deputy Chief Minister. The date of the swearing-in would be decided keeping Muharram in mind, Omar said. The new government must be in office before January 10, the day Governor’s Rule ends.

On the terms of sharing power, Omar said: “There was no indication (in the meeting with Sonia) that it would be a term of three years. It was not a pre-condition for alliance or any stumbling block.” There were indications that Omar may be Chief Minister for a full six years, though some in the Congress were continuing to push for a three-year rotational arrangement.

Minutes after firming up the alliance, Omar outlined an inclusive agenda for his government, undertaking to induct a Kashmiri Pandit in his ministry, and appealing to the community to return to the Valley.

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