GG News Bureau
Jammu, 16th Oct. Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, marking the first elected government in the Union Territory since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, with Abdullah taking the helm for a second term. He is the third generation of the Abdullah family to lead the region, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Sheikh Abdullah, and his father, Farooq Abdullah.
Alongside Abdullah, five ministers—Sakina Masood (Itoo), Javed Dar, Javed Rana, Surinder Choudhary, and Satish Sharma—also took their oaths. While Itoo and Dar represent the Kashmir Valley, Rana, Choudhary, and Sharma hail from the Jammu region.
The Congress party announced that it would not join the council of ministers for now, expressing dissatisfaction over the non-restoration of statehood. Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Tariq Hameed Karra confirmed the party’s decision.
Leaders from the INDIA bloc attended the swearing-in ceremony in full strength at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC). Notable attendees included Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Mallikarjun Kharge, along with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Left leaders Prakash Karat and D Raja, DMK’s Kanimozhi, NCP’s Supriya Sule, and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti.
Omar Abdullah’s family members, including his father, Farooq Abdullah, mother, Molly Abdullah, two sisters, and two sons, were present at the ceremony. Abdullah was previously elected unanimously as the leader of the National Conference (NC) Legislature Party. His first term as Chief Minister lasted from 2009 to 2014 when Jammu and Kashmir was still a full-fledged state.
In the recent elections, the National Conference secured 42 out of 90 seats, while its alliance partner, Congress, won six. Together, the two pre-poll allies hold a majority in the 95-member assembly, which includes five members to be nominated by the Lt Governor. Following the 2019 bifurcation, the erstwhile state was divided into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
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