On Wednesday, Omar Abdullah, the vice-president of the National Conference (NC), was officially sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, with Surinder Kumar Choudhary, representing the Jammu region, taking the oath as Deputy Chief Minister. The ceremony took place in Srinagar, presided over by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
Accompanying Mr. Abdullah were five legislators, consisting of three from the Jammu region and two from the Kashmir Valley, who also took their oaths as Ministers. Mr. Choudhary earned his position by defeating BJP leader Ravinder Raina in the Nowshera constituency of Jammu. Abdullah remarked that the structure of the Council of Ministers was “meant to convey a message” to the Jammu region, which saw the BJP win 29 out of 43 seats in the recent elections.
In his address, Mr. Abdullah stated, “I fulfilled the promise of giving representation to all the regions equally. We made Deputy Chief Minister from Jammu so that they will feel they are equally part of the government. There are three more ministries that will be filled soon. Our endeavour will be to walk together.”
Among those who were sworn in as Ministers were Satish Sharma from Jammu’s Chamb constituency, Sakina Yatoo from south Kashmir’s D.H. Pora constituency, Javid Dar from north Kashmir’s Rafiabad constituency, Mr. Choudhary from Jammu’s Nowshera constituency, and Javid Rana from Jammu’s Mendhar constituency. NC president Farooq Abdullah expressed his optimism about the government’s intentions, stating, “The government will treat both the regions equally and will also end the suffering of people.”
This marks Mr. Abdullah’s second term as Chief Minister, having previously served in the role starting in 2009. He has the distinction of being the first Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir after the Central government revoked the region’s special status in 2019 and conferred greater powers to the Lieutenant Governor.
Addressing the challenges ahead, Mr. Abdullah noted, “I was the last Chief Minister to serve a full six-year term. Now I will be the first Chief Minister of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. I am happy about the last distinction of serving six years. Being a Chief Minister of a Union Territory is a different matter altogether. It has its own challenges. I hope that the status of a Union Territory is a temporary one,” he stated prior to the swearing-in ceremony.
After the ceremony, Mr. Abdullah received a guard of honour at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar and conducted his initial meeting with senior officials. In his first directive, he instructed the Director General of Police (DGP) to avoid creating a “green corridor” or causing traffic disruptions during his movements. “I have instructed him [the DGP] to minimise public inconvenience and the use of sirens is to be minimal. The use of any stick waving or aggressive gestures is to be totally avoided,” Mr. Abdullah emphasized, urging his fellow Cabinet Ministers to adopt a similar mindset.
In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, there are only ten ministerial positions available, including the Chief Minister’s role. Notably, none of the six Congress legislators took their oaths, even though they are part of the coalition. Ghulam Ahmad Mir, the leader of the Congress Legislature Party, stated, “None of the elected members took oath before the Lieutenant Governor. It is a mark of our protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not restoring statehood.”
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge reiterated the party’s commitment to statehood, stating that “statehood remains its first priority.”
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by several leaders from the INDIA bloc, including prominent Congress figures such as Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Priyanka Vadra. The event also saw participation from other political leaders, including former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, CPI(M) leaders Prakash Karat and D. Raja, and Members of Parliament Kanimozhi and Supriya Sule. Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and MP Sheikh Rashid were also present at the event.
BJP leader Ravinder Raina extended his congratulations to Mr. Abdullah, expressing hope that the new government would work towards “peace and progress.” He added, “I am confident they will further strengthen peace and tranquillity of past 10 years.”
It is noteworthy that none of the 29 BJP legislators attended the swearing-in ceremony in Srinagar.