Jammu & Kashmir: Farooq Abdullah's announcement to step down from the post of President of the National Conference

National Desk:
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Friday announced his resignation from the post of National Conference (NC) president.  He said that now the time has come to hand over the responsibility to the new generation.  Speculations were rife for days that 85-year-old Abdullah would now take up the role of party patron while his son and NC vice-president Omar Abdullah could become its new chief.
Abdullah said, 'I will no longer contest for the post of president.  The election for the post will be held on December 5.  Now the time has come for the new generation to take up this responsibility."
'Any member of the party can contest elections'
 Abdullah, a Lok Sabha member, said, “Any member of the party can contest for this post.  This is a democratic process. Farooq Abdullah first became the President of the National Conference (NC) in 1983.  Farooq Abdullah headed the oldest party in the region, which played a key role in the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India in 1947.