Jammu, Feb. 21 : After getting elected to the Rajya Sabha, Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has resigned from the Jammu and Kashmir State Assembly.

"Azad submitted his resignation on February 19 to the pro-tem speaker of Jammu and Kashmir assembly, Choudhary Mohammad Aslam, who has accepted it," Secretary of the House M Ramzan said on Saturday.

Azad was elected to the Rajya Sabha on February 6. He was serving his second straight term as an MLA from Bhaderwah in Doda District.

In the 2008 assembly elections, Azad had set-up a record as the only MLA in the entire state to defeat his nearest rival by a margin of nearly 30,000 votes.

Meanwhile, the president of the National Conference (NC) Farooq Abdullah has yet to quit his Sonawar assembly seat.

Abdullah has resigned from the Hazratbal segment constituency.

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has 89 members ( 87 elected and two nominated). The effective strength after Azad and Abdullah''s resignation is 87 and would be 86 after Abdullah quits his seat. (ANI)