Omar Abdullah to take oath as J-K Chief Minister; Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge to attend

Omar Abdullah was unanimously elected leader of the NC Legislature Party following his party's victory in 42 out of the 90 seats, clearing the path for his second term as chief minister.

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Shantanu Poswal
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Omar Abdullah (ANI)

The stage is set for National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah to take oath as the first Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. This marks a historic moment following the abrogation of Article 370, as the region recently concluded its maiden assembly elections. The National Conference, in alliance with the Congress, emerged victorious, paving the way for Abdullah’s return to power.

Oath ceremony details

The swearing-in ceremony will take place at 11:30 am at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar. The oath of office and secrecy will be administered by Jammu and Kashmir's Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha. Alongside Omar Abdullah, his chosen ministers will also be sworn in, setting the stage for the new government.

Invitations have been extended to several prominent figures from the INDIA bloc, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi. However, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin will not be attending the ceremony due to a ‘red alert’ issued by the IMD for heavy rainfall caused by the northeast monsoon in his state.

National Conference-Congress alliance victory

In the recently concluded elections, the National Conference secured 42 out of the 90 seats in the assembly, while the Congress won six. Together, the pre-poll allies hold a majority in the 95-member assembly, which includes five nominated members by the Lieutenant Governor. Their strength is further bolstered by the support of five Independent MLAs-elect and one AAP MLA-elect.

This will be Omar Abdullah's second term as Chief Minister, having previously served from 2009 to 2014 when Jammu and Kashmir was a full-fledged state, also under a National Conference-Congress coalition government.