
Omar Abdullah, Vice President of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, October 16, in Srinagar. He was joined by Surinder Choudhary, who took the oath as Deputy Chief Minister. Choudhary had defeated Ravinder Raina, the BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir president, in the Naushera constituency of the Pir Panjal region.
However, just before the oath-taking ceremony, Congress announced it would not join the government but would provide external support. Omar Abdullah’s appointment is being seen as an effort to bring stability to the state, which faces numerous challenges. To fulfill his electoral promises, Abdullah will need to cooperate closely with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the central government. Although restoring Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, remains out of reach, Abdullah aims to work toward restoring full statehood for the region.
Speaking about the Deputy CM, Omar Abdullah said that making Surinder Choudhary the Deputy Chief Minister would ensure Jammu does not feel isolated. Other ministers sworn in alongside Abdullah include Sakina Itoo, an MLA from DH Pora in Kulgam district, Javed Ahmad Rana, an MLA from the ST-reserved Mendhar seat in Poonch district, Javid Ahmad Dar from Rafiabad in Baramulla district, and Satish Sharma, an independent MLA from Chhamb in Jammu district. Satish Sharma had rebelled against Congress after it fielded former Deputy CM Tara Chand in Chhamb. Chand finished third in the election.
The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre in Srinagar, and the oath was administered by Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. This marks the first elected government in Jammu and Kashmir since the revocation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories. Omar Abdullah hails from central Kashmir, while Choudhary is from Jammu. The newly formed cabinet has ministers representing various regions, including one from Jammu’s plains, and others from north and south Kashmir. Among the ministers, four are Muslim (including one tribal) and two are Hindu.
Omar Abdullah, who has served as Chief Minister from 2009 to 2015, also previously held the position of Union Minister of State for External Affairs from 2001 to 2002 in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s NDA government. His father, Farooq Abdullah, served as Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Minister three times, while his grandfather, Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah, was the state’s first Prime Minister post the accession to India and later became Chief Minister.
Jammu and Kashmir had been under President’s Rule since 2018 after the BJP withdrew support from the coalition government led by Mehbooba Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP). President’s Rule was lifted on October 13, paving the way for the formation of an elected government. The Congress-National Conference alliance secured 48 seats in the recent elections, with the NC winning 42 and Congress 6.
Before the oath-taking, Omar Abdullah visited his grandfather Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah’s grave to offer prayers. He stated that his government has a lot of work to do for the people of the region, especially after five or six years during which their voices were unheard. His administration aims to be responsive to the people’s concerns. Reflecting on his previous tenure, Omar noted that he was the last Chief Minister to serve a full six-year term. Now, he will become the first Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, a role that presents unique challenges. He expressed optimism that the Union Territory status is temporary and that restoring full statehood would be a priority.
Several leaders from the INDIA alliance attended the ceremony, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, NCP’s working president Supriya Sule, CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat, DMK’s deputy general secretary Kanimozhi, and CPI General Secretary D. Raja.