Nothing new in ministers resigning to work for the party: Omar

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said there was nothing new in ministers resigning before the elections to work for the party and he will see if such a thing was needed in the state before the Assembly polls scheduled next year.

Omar was expressing his views in the wake of Congress leader Jayanthi Natarajan's resignation as Union Minister for party work, which has given rise to speculations that more ministers from Centre may be drafted for party work.

"There is nothing new in seeking resignation of some ministers just before the elections. If you remember, before the elections of 2009, ministers like Jairam Ramesh resigned to work for the party. It is the need of the hour," Omar told reporters here.

Omar said it is the internal matter of the Congress party to see which minister has to resign or which not.

The Chief Minister said he will see whether there is a need to take resignations of some of the ministers, belonging to his party National Conference, one to two months before the elections.

"As far as such a thing in Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we will see to that one or two months before the elections," the Chief Minister said.

National Conference is in coalition with Congress in the state, which is scheduled to go for polls next year.