Omar Abdullah sworn in as Jammu and Kashmir chief minister

Pic/PTI

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister on Wednesday, the first elected government in the union territory since 2019 when Article 370 was abrogated.

Lt Governor Manoj Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to Abdullah, who takes over as Jammu and Kashmir chief minister for a second term and is the third generation of the Abdullah family to occupy the office -- after his grandfather Sheikh Abdullah and father Farooq Abdullah.

Five ministers were also sworn in.

INDIA Bloc leaders attended the event in full strength. Among those who had gathered at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) were Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Mallikarjun Kharge, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Left leaders Prakash Karat and D Raja, DMK's Kanimozhi and NCP's Supriya Sule. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti also attended the event.

Abdullah has been unanimously elected leader of the NC Legislature Party. His first term as chief minister was from 2009 to 2014 when Jammu and Kashmir was a full-fledged state.

The National Conference won 42 out of the 90 seats in the recent elections while alliance partner Congress bagged six. Together, the two pre-poll allies hold a majority in the 95-member assembly -- five members are to be nominated by the LG.

In 2019, the erstwhile state was bifurcated into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Omar Abdullah on Wednesday offered floral tributes at the Mazar-e-Anwar of "Sher-e-Kashmir" Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, in Srinagar ahead of his swearing-in ceremony.

Omar Abdullah's grandfather, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, 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.

Speaking after he offered prayers Omar Abdullah said his government has a lot to do for the people of the region. "We have a lot to do. We have to give people the hope that this is their government and they will be heard. They have not been heard for the last 5-6 years. It will be our responsibility to listen to them and act on it," he said, reported ANI.

"I have some strange distinctions. I was the last chief minister to serve a full six-year term. Now I'll be the first chief minister of the Union territory of J&K. The last distinction, as in the one of serving six years, I'm quite happy about. I hope that the status of a union territory is a temporary one. We look forward to working in cooperation with the government of India to resolve the people's problems and the best way to do that would be to start by restoring statehood to J&K, " he added, reported ANI.

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, 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 have been under 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).

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)