Srinagar: National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah has been sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir for the second time. The swearing-in ceremony, held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) here, was presided over by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
This marks Mr. Abdullah’s return to the Chief Minister’s post after first serving a full six-year term beginning in 2009. Notably, he now assumes office as the first Chief Minister of the Union Territory (UT) of J&K, following the revocation of the region’s special status in 2019. During his address ahead of the ceremony, Mr. Abdullah acknowledged the unique challenges of governing a Union Territory but expressed hope that the current status is temporary.
Surinder Kumar Choudhary, a prominent leader from Jammu, was appointed Deputy Chief Minister, having secured victory over BJP leader Ravinder Raina in the Nowshera constituency. Along with Mr. Choudhary, four other legislators – Satish Sharma, Sakina Yatoo, Javid Dar, and Javid Rana – were sworn in as part of the new Council of Ministers.
However, the absence of Congress legislators was notable, as none took the oath in protest against the delay in restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood. Ghulam Ahmad Mir, leader of the Congress legislative party, stated, “Our boycott is a mark of protest against Prime Minister Modi’s failure to fulfil the promise of restoring statehood.”
The ceremony was attended by prominent leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Priyanka Gandhi, as well as Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat. Members of Parliament Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and Supriya Sule were also present to witness the event.
