National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday declared that his son and party vice-president Omar Abdullah would become the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Omar Abdullah banega chief minister,” Farooq said.

The veteran politician announced his decision after the NC emerged as the single-largest party with 42 seats. Together with ally Congress, which won six seats, they crossed the halfway mark.

Omar had suffered a humiliating defeat in the recent parliamentary election but it seemed to have come as a blessing for him though he would have to contend with a far lower status than what chief ministers enjoyed under Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

The NC vice-president contested from Budgam and Ganderbal this time, winning from both places.

“The people have given their mandate to us after 10 years. We pray to Allah that we meet their expectations. It will not be ‘police raj’ but ‘public raj’ here. We will try to release the innocents lodged in jails and work for building trust between Hindus and Muslims,” Farooq told reporters.

The former chief minister also hoped that the INDIA bloc partners would help the NC fight to restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir.

Omar had last served as chief minister from 2008 to 2014, when the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly lasted for six years.

“There is no denying the fact that if the people of Jammu and Kashmir have preferred one party, it is the National Conference. If we were short of some numbers, our alliance partners made up for them. I am thankful to the people of Jammu and Kashmir who came to vote to elect their representatives,” he told reporters, joining celebrations with his supporters in Ganderbal.

Omar said a meeting of the legislative party had been called to elect a leader.

“After that, we will sit with the alliance to elect its leader. Then we have to stake claim for government (formation). There are important things that need to be decided in the next few days,” he said.

“The responsibilities have been manifold and it is our duty now to work to prove ourselves worthy of the verdict with our full responsibility for the next five years.”

Omar had pledged that if his party came to power, the first resolution of the Assembly would be to reject the Centre’s decision of abrogating Article 370 and stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its statehood.

Omar’s arch-rival Mehbooba Mufti conceded defeat and said the people had voted for a “stable government”. Mehbooba’s PDP won only three seats.

“People thought the National Conference-Congress could give that (stable government) and kept the BJP away,” she said.

Mehbooba had not contested the elections, keeping her promise of not entering the fray until statehood was restored. Her daughter Iltija Mufti, however, contested her maiden election from her hometown Bijbehara and lost to the NC’s Dr Bashir Veeri.