Srinagar: Farooq Abdullah on October 17 night declined to continue as caretaker Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir till an alternative government is formed, National Conference sources said.

The decision was taken after Abdullah had a meeting with his Cabinet colleagues, the sources said.

The decision by Abdullah not to continue as Chief Minister came despite intervention of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and a written communication by state Governor G C Saxena to do so.

PTI