'Coalition politics future governance mantra in India'

Srinagar, May 2 (IANS) Union Health Minister and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Wednesday said the political scenario of the country indicates coalition governments are going to be the order of the day in the future.

Addressing a Congress rally in Devsar town of south Kashmir's Anantnag district, Azad said: "The political scenario in the country seems to favour coalition governments in the future. Single party rule now appears to be difficult. It is going to be highly difficult for any single political party to get enough support to form a government on its own."

He said that in line with "this spirit of participative politics", the Congress had aligned with the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir in the past. "Together, the Congress and the PDP worked for peace and now it is the duty of the Congress-National Conference (NC) coalition to carry forward the peace agenda and work for the development and prosperity of people."

Azad said the present Congress-NC coalition government headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would last its full six year term in the state.

"I have said it many times in the past and I repeat it today that the present Congress-NC coalition government in the state would last its full six year term," he said.

Senior Congress leaders, including state Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand and state Minister for Public Enterprises Peerzada Sayeed, also attended the rally.