Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, marking the first such appointment since the region lost its statehood following the reorganization and abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. The oath was administered by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC).
Accompanying Abdullah, five MLAs took the oath as Cabinet Ministers, including Surinder Kumar Chowdhary, Javed Ahmed Rana, Javid Ahmad Dar, and Sakina Itoo. Notably absent from the new government was any representation from the Congress party. Jammu and Kashmir Congress Chief Tariq Hameed Karra announced that the party would not join the ministry at this time, opting to support the National Conference government from the outside after failing to secure two ministerial positions.
In a related development, Abdullah plans to meet with all administrative secretaries at the Srinagar Civil Secretariat following the ceremony. Security measures were heightened in the area ahead of the event, ensuring a smooth and secure swearing-in process.
