Omar Abdullah, the Vice President of the Jammu Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), is set to take the oath of office as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir today in Srinagar. The ceremony will occur at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), where Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will administer the oath to Abdullah and his newly appointed council of ministers.
In preparation for the event, security measures have been significantly increased around Abdullah's residence to ensure safety.
This marks the first elected government in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 and the restructuring of the former state into two Union Territories. Abdullah comes from a notable political lineage; his grandfather, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, was the first Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir after its accession to India and later served as Chief Minister. His father, Farooq Abdullah, has held the Chief Minister position three times.
Several leaders from the INDIA Bloc, including Akhilesh Yadav, Supriya Sule, Prakash Karat, and Kanimozhi, have arrived in Srinagar to witness the swearing-in ceremony. With the heightened security around Abdullah's residence, preparations for the event are in full swing.
The region's 90 assembly seats were contested in a three-phase election, with results announced on October 8. The alliance of the National Conference and Congress secured 48 seats, with the National Conference leading the alliance, while Congress won only six seats.