NEW DELHI, Dec 30 : National Conference chief Omar Abdullah will be the next chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir heading a coalition government with the
Congress party. ( Watch ) This was decided after Omar met Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday afternoon.

The meeting was held at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence. Emerging from the meeting, 38-year-old Omar said, "it has been decided that I will lead the coalition government in the state of which Congress will be a part of." ( Watch ) Omar, who will be the state's youngest chief minister, said, "Other nitty gritty of the alliance will be worked out in due course of time."

The meeting took place in the backdrop of both the National Conference and PDP initially showing the inclination to form the government in the state and Congress having a rethink on whether it should support NC or PDP. Congress and NC were part of an alliance in J&K in 1987.