National Conference leader Omar Abdullah takes oath as Jammu and Kashmir CM; MLA Surinder S Chaudhary becomes his Deputy
Omar Abdullah, the leader of the National Conference, took oath as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, marking the formation of the first government in the Union Territory after a gap of six years. Surinder Singh Choudhary, an MLA from the Party, became the Deputy Chief Minister after defeating Ravinder Raina in Nowshera during the Assembly elections, ensuring Jammu division’s presence in the new government.
The Congress decided against joining the new Cabinet as of now due to the statehood demand for Jammu and Kashmir pledged by the Centre, and stated it will persist in advocating for it.
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha oversaw Omar Abdullah taking the oath at the swearing-in ceremony at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar. The ceremony was attended by various Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Akhilesh Yadav from the Congress party.
Satish Sharma (Independent), Sakina Itoo, Javid Dar, Sunrinder Choudhary and Javid Rana (all from the National Conference) were the five MLAs who took oath. Four Cabinet positions remain vacant and will be filled once the expansion occurs.
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This is the second stint of Omar Abdullah as Jammu & Kashmir chief minister
Omar Abdullah is serving as Chief Minister for the second time, being the first to do so after Article 370 was revoked in Jammu and Kashmir and it became a Union Territory in 2019. Prior to his inauguration, Omar Abdullah honored his grandfather Sheikh Abdullah by paying respects at his mausoleum.
Omar Abdullah served as the Chief Minister from 2009 to 2014 when Jammu and Kashmir, which was a state then, was ruled by the National Conference-Congress alliance.
Congress won’t be part of cabinet for now
Tariq Hameed Karra, Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief, stated that despite winning six seats in the Assembly elections, the party will not be part of the Cabinet at this moment due to the insistence on the reinstatement of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
Earlier today, Omar Abdullah rejected any rift between the National Conference and Congress, stating that the Congress party would not be included in the Cabinet at the moment. He made it clear that he wouldn’t be filling all nine open positions in the Cabinet.
His comments were made amid reports that discussions are ongoing within Congress on whether to support the National Conference as a part of the government or as an ally from outside.
