Omar Abdullah Sworn in as First Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory
Image Source: Hindustan Times
October 16, 2024: On Wednesday, Omar Abdullah, leader of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), took oath as the first Chief Minister of the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC). Along with Omar, five other ministers were sworn into office, marking a historic moment in the region’s governance.
Omar Abdullah, leader of the National Conference, has assumed the role of the first Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, an important position in the region post-revocation of Article 370 and J&K’s bifurcation into two UTs in 2019. Surinder Choudhary was sworn in as Deputy CM. The only woman among the five sworn in so far was Sakina Itoo, who won her seat in the Assembly from the Noorabad constituency in south Kashmir’s Kulgam. Javed Rana, who won from Mendhar in Rajouri; former minister Javed Dar; independent legislator from Chamb in Jammu; and Satish Sharma are among others who took the oath.
The Congress has decided not to join the council of ministers at this stage, expressing discontent over the non-restoration of statehood to J&K. They have opted to provide outside support to the government. According to JKPCC Chief Karra, the party was hoping for a ministerial berth but opted out in protest. “Congress won’t join the council of ministers in J-K for the moment; the party is unhappy that statehood has not been restored to J-K,” JKPCC chief Karra told PTI.
Although Congress chose not to join the government, the presence of senior Congress leaders at the event, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Mallikarjun Kharge, suggests there is no significant rift between Congress and the National Conference. Omar Abdullah reassured the public that relations between the two parties remain intact. Omar Abdullah told PTI: “Everything is well between the NC and Congress; otherwise (Mallikarjun) Kharge ji, Rahul (Gandhi) ji, and senior Congress leaders would not be coming here (for the swearing-in).”
The swearing-in ceremony saw the presence of notable opposition leaders from the INDIA bloc, which is a major political alliance. Leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Prakash Karat (CPI-M), D. Raja (CPI), Supriya Sule (NCP), and Mehbooba Mufti (PDP) were among the prominent figures attending the event, underscoring the political significance of the occasion on a national level.
With only nine ministerial posts available in the UT, including the Chief Minister’s role, Omar Abdullah has limited scope in selecting his council of ministers. The Congress, which secured six seats in the assembly elections, was expected to get one Cabinet berth but decided against it for now.
“Congratulations to Shri Omar Abdullah Ji on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Wishing him the very best in his efforts to serve the people. The Center will work closely with him and his team for J&K’s progress,” PM Modi wrote in a post on X.
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