Former chief minister Farooq Abdullah Saturday hailed the clean sweep of National Conference (NC)-Congress coalition in the elections to four seats in Jammu and Kashmir legislative council from the panchayat quota.
Abdullah said both the parties should strive hard to get stronger and their strength should percolate to the grassroots.
Presiding over the working committee meeting of NC here, he congratulated the party colleagues on "the coalition's convincing victory in the recently held legislative council elections" and urged them to keep the momentum on and "gear up for the 2014 parliamentary and assembly elections".
Abdullah said that his party always stood for secularism, communal harmony and brotherhood.
NC working president and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah while congratulating the winning candidates termed it as the party's and coalition's victory. The ruling coalition Thursday won all four seats in the state legislative council from the panchayat reserved quota polling for which was held Dec 3.
He said: "2013 should be the year of consolidation and all efforts should be made to take proactive measures which will benefit the party and strengthen the coalition as well".
The party in its working committee unanimously passed a 14 point resolution.
The party said: "India and Pakistan must enter into a sustained dialogue and find a permanent solution to the Kashmir imbroglio which is acceptable to all the stake holders and can lead to a lasting peace in the region."
The working committee also reiterated "the restoration of the autonomy (of Jammu and Kashmir) continues to be the bed rock of the National Conference's policy and agenda."
The NC working committee also resolved that the state must continue its efforts for the revocation of the AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) in a phased manner. And that the state government should take up with the union government the issue of opening of more routes with Pakistan.