By NNN-PTI,
Srinagar (Kashmir, India) : The ruling National Conference Tuesday named patron Farooq Abdullah as the party’s President, replacing his son Omar Abdullah, who became the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister on Jan 5 following assembly elections in the state.
The party’s highest decision making body, the working committee, unanimously passed the proposal to name the 73-year old veteran politician and former state chief minister as the party’s President in a meeting here Tuesday.
Veteran National Conference leader Sharifuddin Shariq proposed the name of Farooq for the post while provincial president Mehboob Beg seconded it, a spokesman of the party told PTI.
He said most of the members of the working committee including newly elected MLA from Kulgam, Sakina Itoo, Abdul Rashid Shaheen, MP from Baramulla and general secretary of the party Sheikh Nazir Ahmed were present at the meeting.
Farooq, who had been party president even earlier, had handed over the reins of the party to son Omar on the eve of the assembly elections in 2002.
Farooq was first elected to the post of President of National Conference in 1981 when his father, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, stepped down as head of the organization.
Talking to reporters, Farooq said he took over as party chief to “relieve” his chief minister-son Omar Abdullah from additional responsibilities of party work.