Omar Abdullah Set to Take Oath as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir

Omar Abdullah, Vice President of the Jammu Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), is set to take the oath of office as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir today in Srinagar. The ceremony will take place at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), where Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will administer the oath to Abdullah and his council of ministers.

Security has been increased around Abdullah’s residence in Srinagar ahead of the event. This follows the Congress-National Conference alliance securing 48 seats in the recent Jammu Kashmir assembly elections, with the National Conference winning 42 and Congress six.

This marks 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 Abdullah, was the first Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir after its accession to India and later served as Chief Minister. Omar’s father, Farooq Abdullah, has held the Chief Minister position three times.

Omar, who previously served as Chief Minister from 2009 to 2015, was also a Member of Parliament and held the role of Union Minister of State for External Affairs under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from 2001 to 2002.

Jammu and Kashmir has been under President’s rule since 2018, following the Bharatiya Janata Party’s withdrawal from its coalition with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led by Mehbooba Mufti. The recent revocation of President’s rule has paved the way for a new government following the assembly elections.

In a letter shared by Omar Abdullah on X, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha stated, “I have received a letter from Dr. Farooq Abdullah, President of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, informing me that you have been unanimously elected as Leader of the Legislature Party. As arranged, I will administer the Oath of Office and Secrecy to you and your recommended council members at SKICC, Srinagar, on October 16, 2024, at 11:30 a.m. I wish you a productive tenure in the best interest of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”

Several leaders from the INDIA Bloc will attend the oath-taking ceremony, including Akhilesh Yadav, Prakash Karat, Supriya Sule, and Kanimozhi, who have arrived in Srinagar for the occasion. The JKNC shared images of these leaders on X, highlighting their presence at the event.