Says Cabinet Notes Important To End President Rule, All Formalities To Be Completed By Monday
Srinagar: Chief minister-designate Omar Abdullah on Saturday said that he expected the swearing-in ceremony of the coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir to be held on Wednesday.
“We once tried to form a government via fax, but the fax machine didn’t work. If you expect us to run a government through a fax, it won’t end well. There’s a procedure to follow for ending the President’s Rule,” Omar Abdullah said on the sidelines of Legends League Cricket (LLC) match on Saturday here.
“Cabinet notes are important, and all formalities will be completed by Monday. With the Almighty’s will, we will take the oath on Wednesday.”
Omar’s remarks refered to November 2018, when the then Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, claiming that a state holiday prevented his office from receiving a critical fax from Mehbooba Mufti, who had been trying to form a coalition government.
Abdullah was unanimously elected as the leader of NC legislature party on Thursday, paving the way for his second term as the chief minister of J-K.
His first tenure as the chief minister was also as the head of the NC-Congress coalition government from 2009 to 2014.
The NC won 42 of the 90 seats for which elections were held in three phases with the alliance partner Congress bagging six seats. Although the two parties have a majority in the 95-member House, four Independents and the lone AAP MLA have also extended their support to the NC.
The NC-Congress alliance has staked claim to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir after securing a clear majority in the polls. The Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and several Independent legislators have extended support to the coalition.
Talking to reporters at his residence after returning from the Raj Bhavan, Abdullah had said he requested the LG to fix a date for swearing-in of the new government at the earliest.
“I met the LG and presented the letters of support from the NC, Congress, CPI(M),
AAP and Independents who have supported the NC. I requested him to fix a date as soon as possible so that the oath ceremony takes place and the government elected by the people starts functioning,” the CM-designate had said.
He had said the oath ceremony is likely to take place on Wednesday.
“This process will take some time. It is not that an elected government is replacing another elected government. This is a central rule, we are a Union Territory, and the LG has to prepare documents and send them to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.”
