JAMMU & KASHMIR :
National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah took oath as the first Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir since its reorganisation as a Union Territory. The swearing-in ceremony, held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar, was administered by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Saxena.
The event marks a significant moment in the political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir, as it comes after a 6.5-year period without a locally elected government. “It is a red-letter day,” said NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar, adding, “May God give strength to Omar Abdullah to raise the people’s voice.”
The ceremony saw the presence of several top leaders from the INDIA alliance, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat, CPI leader D. Raja, DMK’s Kanimozhi, and NCP’s Supriya Sule.
Omar Abdullah paid homage to his grandfather, National Conference founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, at his mausoleum before the swearing-in.
Speaking ahead of the ceremony, Abdullah acknowledged the challenges of leading Jammu and Kashmir as a Union Territory: “Being a Chief Minister of a Union Territory is a different matter altogether. It has its own challenges, but I hope this status is temporary.”
Abdullah emphasised that his government’s priority would be to work toward restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, which was revoked in 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370. He stated, “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 is by restoring statehood to J&K.”
The National Conference-Congress alliance secured 48 seats in the 90-member assembly , with NC winning 42 and Congress six. This decisive victory allowed Abdullah to form the government, which comes after Jammu and Kashmir had been under Presidential rule since 2018, following the collapse of the PDP-BJP coalition government led by Mehbooba Mufti.
source: http://www.maktoobmedia.com / MaktoobMedia.com / Home>India / by Maktoob Staff / October 16t, 2024