Omar Abdullah is set to take oath as the first chief minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir following the National Conference’s (NC) decisive victory in the region’s maiden assembly election since the abrogation of Article 370.
The oath-taking ceremony will take place at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar on Wednesday, according to officials. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will administer the Oath of Office and Secrecy to Abdullah and his council of ministers at 11:30 a.m. Tight security measures have been put in place, with officials stating that additional arrangements are being made due to the expected presence of several VVIPs.
“The security has been beefed up especially as a lot of VVIPs will be attending the event. We will ensure the smooth conduct of the event,” the officials said.
Invitations to the ceremony have been extended to constituents of the INDIA bloc, though the final list of attendees is yet to be confirmed, NC provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani said. “We will get to know about the VVIP attendees later this evening after receiving their confirmation,” he added.
The formal invitation to Abdullah was extended by LG Sinha on Monday, following the Centre’s revocation of President’s rule in the Union Territory. In his letter to Abdullah, Sinha acknowledged receiving official communications from NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah, confirming Omar’s unanimous election as the leader of the Legislature Party, and from leaders of other supporting parties, including the Congress, CPI(M), and AAP.
“I am pleased to invite you to form and lead the Government of Jammu and Kashmir,” Sinha wrote, confirming that the swearing-in ceremony will take place on October 16, 2024.
Omar Abdullah was unanimously chosen to lead the NC Legislature Party last Thursday, paving the way for his second term as chief minister. His first tenure, from 2009 to 2014, was under the NC-Congress coalition when J&K was a full-fledged state.
The NC emerged as the largest party in the recently held elections, winning 42 of the 90 seats, while the Congress secured six. With the support of five Independent MLAs-elect and one AAP MLA-elect, the NC-Congress alliance now holds a commanding majority in the 95-member assembly, which includes five nominated members.