National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah took oath as the first Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory on Wednesday, heading the first elected government in the union territory since abrogation of Article 370.
Omar, 54, was sworn in along with five other ministers, three from Jammu region and two from Kashmir. The effort towards regional balance within the administration was also reflected in his choice of deputy chief minister — Surender Choudhary from Jammu region’s Nowshera constituency.
The Congress, a member of the pre-poll alliance with the NC, decided not to take up any ministerial positions in the new government as of now.
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to Omar and his ministers at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre along the banks of the Dal Lake.
Omar , who takes over as chief minister for a second term, is the third generation of the influential Abdullah family to occupy the office — after his grandfather Sheikh Abdullah and father Farooq Abdullah.
His first term as chief minister was from 2009 to 2014 when Jammu and Kashmir was a full-fledged state.
The five ministers sworn in were Choudhary, Sakina Masood (Itoo), Javed Dar, Javed Rana and Satish Sharma.
Deputy Chief Minister Choudhary is from Jammu as are Rana and Sharma. Itoo, the only woman minister, and Dar are from the Valley. While Abdullah took his oath in English, Choudhary did so in Hindi.
“I had said that we will not allow Jammu to feel they do not have a voice or representatives in this government. I have chosen a deputy chief minister from Jammu so the people of Jammu feel that this government is as much theirs as it is of the rest,” the new chief minister said soon after the ceremony.
Choudhary, who defeated BJP chief Ravinder Raina in Jammu’s Nowshera constituency, said the NC leadership had proved again that both Jammu and Kashmir divisions are equally important to them.
“This is the leadership which rises above political, religious and communal connotations and works for the people,” he said.
Discussing his council of ministers, Omar , who posted a photograph on X of himself in his office chair at the civil secretariat with the words “I’m back”, said there are three vacancies and “they will gradually be filled”.
Top leaders of INDIA alliance including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Mallikarjun Kharge, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, left leaders Prakash Karat and D Raja, DMK’s Kanimozhi and NCP’s Supriya Sule attended the swearing-in ceremony. PDP president chief Mehbooba Mufti also attended the function.
Omar’s family, including his father Farooq Abdullah and mother Molly Abdullah, his two sisters, and two sons were present on the occasion.


Ministers

Surinder Choudhary

Surinder Kumar Choudhary, 56, became the first deputy chief minister of J&K after emerging as a giant slayer in the recent assembly elections from Nowshera constituency in Rajouri district of Jammu region.
He defeated J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina from Nowshera seat.
He is one of the only two Hindu faces among the 42 MLAs of the NC across the Union Territory.
Choudhary passed his higher secondary examination in 1987 from a government school at Nowshera.


Sakeena Itoo

Sakeena Itoo, 53, is one of the two women faces of National Conference who won the assembly election.
This is her third stint as the MLA of Damhal Hanjipora, previously Nooranad.
Itoo joined politics and survived multiple assassination bids in the thick of militancy after her politician father, Wali Mohammad Itoo, was killed by militants in 1994.
At 26, she won her first assembly election in 1996, becoming the youngest member of the state’s assembly.
She served as minister of social welfare, administrative reforms, education and tourism.


Satish Sharma

Satish Sharma, 42, is one of the seven independents who won the assembly elections.
He extended his support to NC after winning from Chhamb constituency in Jammu district.
A businessman, Sharma was awarded the MBA degree from the University of Wales Institute Cardiff in 2008.
He is the youngest face in the cabinet.


Javed Rana

Javed Ahmad Rana, 61, is seasoned NC leader from Mendhar constituency, which is reserved for the Scheduled Tribe community.
Rana won the election for the second time in a row. This time, he defeated Murtaza Khan of BJP while in 2014, he defeated PDP candidate. He won his first election in 2002 when he became the MLA from Mendhar.
He graduated in law from the University of Jammu in 1989.


Javid Ahmed Dar

Javid Ahmad Dar, 50 is the only MLA from north Kashmir to make it to Omar’s cabinet. He defeated Yawar Mir of Apni Party to win the Rafiabad seat of north Kashmir.
Previously, he represented the constituency in 2008 and went on to become the minister of state in the cabinet.