Omar Abdullah sworn in as first Chief Minister of Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir

JAMMU AND KASHMIR: National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the first Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. L-G Manoj Saxena administered the oath of office to Abdullah and his council of ministers at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar.

J-K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha administered the oath of office to Omar Abdullah along with his council of ministers. National Conference MLA from Mendhar Javed Ahmed Rana, Javid Ahmad Dar from Rafiabad, Sakina Itoo from DH Pora and Surinder Kumar Chowdhary were also administered oath by LG Sinha as ministers in Cabinet.

Independent MLA from Chhamb assmebly seat Satish Sharma was given a place in Omar Abdullah-led cabinet. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were also present for the swearing in ceremony.

Many INDIA Bloc leaders were present in the ceremony of the JKNC Vice President including Samajwadi Party Akhilesh Yadav, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Prakash Karat, NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule, DMK MP Kanimozhi, AAP leader Sanjay Singh and CPI leader D Raja.

PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti was also present during the ceremony. This came after the Congress-National Conference secured 48 seats, with the NC winning 42 and the Congress only six seats in the Jammu Kashmir assembly elections.

This will be the first elected government in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganization of the former state into two Union Territories. Omar Abdullah's grandfather, Sheikh Mohammad Abullah, was the first Prime Minister of JK after its accession to India and later served as Chief Minister.

Omar's father Farooq Abdullah has been the CM of the erstwhile state thrice. Omar, a former Member of Parliament was the Chief Minister of the erstwhile state between 2009-2015. He had also served as Union Minister of State for External Affairs in former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA government from 2001 to 2002.

Jammu and Kashmir was under the Presidential rule since 2018, after the Bharatiya Janata Party withdrew its support from the coalition government with Mehbooba Mufti-led People's Democratic Party (PDP). Recently, the president's rule in Jammu and Kashmir was revoked, clearing the way for the formation of a new government following the recently concluded Assembly polls in the Union Territory. (ANI)