Omar Abdullah Oath-Taking Ceremony Highlights: Omar sworn in as J&K CM, Surinder Choudhary as DyCM; Congress sits out

Omar Abdullah Oath-Taking Ceremony Highlights: National Conference leader Omar Abdullah took oath as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir in Srinagar today, October 16. Five ministers - two from Kashmir and three from Jammu also took oath of office on the occasion.

Surinder Chaudhary, an NC leader from Jammu, was sworn is as deputy chief minister by J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. The other ministers who took oath on Wednesday include Sakina Ittoo, Javed Rana, Javed Dar and Satish Sharma. All these are NC MLAs.

Choudhary is the NC MLA from Nowshera in Jammu and Sakeena Itoo, is NC MLA from Damhal Hanjipora in Kashmir. Javed Rana is also NC MLA from Mendhar in Jammu while Javed Dar is NC MLA Rafiabad, Kashmir. Satish Sharma is an independent MLA from Chhamb in Jammu supporting NC-Congress alliance.

The Congress, which was ally partner of National Conference, has decided not to be part of the new Jammu and Kashmir government. “Congress has strongly demanded from the Centre to restore Statehood to J&K, besides the Prime Minister has time and again in public meetings promised the same. But the Statehood has not been restored to J&K. We are unhappy therefore we are not joining the Ministry at the moment, JKPCC Chief added and said Congress Party shall continue to fight for restoration of Statehood,” Congress party's J-K chief Tariq Hameed Karra said explaining why Congress stayed out of government.

Abdullah has become first chief minister of the Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, He is also the first CM of Jammu and Kashmir after the erstwhile state was bifurcated into Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Union Territories.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are attending Abdullah's oath-taking ceremony at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar today.

Floral Tributes to Sheikh Abdullah

Hours before his oath-taking, Omar paid floral tributes at the Mazar-e-Anwar – the mausoleum of National Conference founder and his grand father, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, in Srinagar. “I have some strange distinctions. I was the last chief minister to serve a full six-year term. Now I'll be the first chief minister of the Union territory of J&K. The last distinction, as in the one of serving six years,” Omar said on the occasion.

It wis Abdullah's second term as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. In the first term, he was the J&K chief minister between January 5, 2009 and January 8, 2015.

The National Conference-Congress alliance won the maiden assembly elections held after the abrogation of Article 370. The NC won 42 seats while the Congress won 6 seats. The majority got further strengthened with the backing of five Independent MLAs and one MLA from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The Bharatiya Janata Party won 29 seats, up from 25 it won in 2014 assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir has been under President’s rule since June 2018, after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) withdrew its support from Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti-led coalition government with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Omar Abdullah Oath-Taking Ceremony Highlights: Omar sworn in as J&K CM, Surinder Choudhary as DyCM; Congress sits out

Omar Abdullah Oath-Taking Ceremony Highlights: National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah is all set to take oath as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. All 9 ministerial posts will not be filled today.