Omar, Council of Ministers to take oath tomorrow

LG Invites NC Leader To Form Govt, Wishes Him ‘Productive Tenure’, ‘Success’ In His Endeavours

Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday invited National Conference leader Omar Abdullah to take oath as first chief minister of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir on October 16.
This comes a day after the Centre revoked President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a letter to Abdullah, Sinha said, “I have received a letter of 11th October, 2024 from Dr. Farooq Abdullah, President, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, wherein it has been informed that you have been unanimously elected as Leader of the Legislature Party.”
He said he has also received a letter from Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra, CPI(M) Secretary G N Malik, AAP national secretary Pankaj Kumar Gupta and Independent MLAs-elect Payare Lal Sharma, Satish Sharma, Mohammad Akram, Rameshwar Singh and Muzafar Iqbal Khan extending their support to the NC.
“I am pleased to invite you to form and lead the Government of Jammu and Kashmir.
“As separately settled, I shall administer Oath of Office and Secrecy to you, and to those recommended by you for induction as members of your Council of Ministers, at SKICC, Srinagar on 16th October, 2024 at 11:30 a.m,” Sinha said in his letter.
“I take this opportunity to wish you a highly productive tenure and success in your endeavours in the best interest of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
The LG’s emissary handed over the letter to Abdullah and informed him about the date and time of the swearing-in ceremony.
“Was pleased to receive the Principal Secretary to LG Manoj Sinha ji. He handed over a letter from the @OfficeOfLGJandK inviting me to form the next government in J&K,” Abdullah said in a post on X.
The invitation comes as President’s rule was withdrawn in Jammu and Kashmir, paving the way for the formation of a new government in the union territory.
A gazette notification to this effect was issued by the Union Home Ministry.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 73 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 (34 of 2019) read with Articles 239 and 239A of the Constitution of India, the order dated the 31st October, 2019 in relation to the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall stand revoked immediately before the appointment of the chief minister under Section 54 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019,” the notification signed by President Droupadi Murmu said.
The National Conference-Congress alliance won the recent Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections and is set to form the government.
NC vice president Omar Abdullah will be the next chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. He has been elected as the leader of the alliance.
Central rule was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir on October 31, 2019, following the formal division of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 was passed by the Parliament on August 5, 2019. Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded a special status to the erstwhile state, was also abrogated on that day.
Prior to October 31, 2019, the central rule was continuing in the erstwhile state from June 2017 after the resignation of the then chief minister Mehbooba Mufti when the BJP withdrew support to the PDP-led government.