Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge are among the leaders who will attend the swearing–in ceremony of National Conference leader Omar Abdullah in Srinagar on Wednesday.
The Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) on the banks of the Dal Lake in Srinagar has been decked up for the swearing ceremony. Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Omar and his council of ministers.
The Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory will witness its first elected government after a gap of six years following the collapse of the PDP-BJP coalition government in June 2018 when J&K was a full-fledged state. It came under central rule after a few months.
This will be Omar’s second term as CM. In the first term, he was the chief minister of the erstwhile state between 5 January 2009 and 8 January 2015.
Omar’s father and NC chief, Dr. Farooq Abdullah has invited Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin for the swearing ceremony, but due to severe rain conditions in the state, Stalin will not be participating in the ceremony. Kanimozhi Karunanidhi will be attending the event representing her party DMK.
As per reports, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, Akhilesh Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal and D Raja are among those who have been invited.
Omar’s school friend and Punjab’s Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal and his wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal (MP) have already reached Srinagar to be present at the ceremony.
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav also arrived at Srinagar in the afternoon. He stressed for immediate restoration of statehood of J&K.
Dr. Abdullah said that many other INDIA bloc leaders are expected to attend the ceremony.
Omar has limited choice of selecting his ministers as the J&K Reorganisation Act provides for appointing 10 percent ministers out of the total strength of the assembly that is 90 at the moment.
It will be a difficult task for Omar to give representation to all regions, including Kashmir, Jammu, Pir-Panjal and Chenab valley.