Making me Deputy CM proves Jammu is as Important as Kashmir: Surinder Choudhary
Shadow Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 16 :
The Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha has appointed Omar Abdullah as the Chief Minister of J&K UT. Further, as advised by the Chief Minister, the Lieutenant Governor has appointed the following as Members of the Council of Ministers – Surinder Kumar Choudhary Sushri Sakina Itoo Javed Ahmed Rana Javid Ahmad Dar Satish Sharma
National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Wednesday took oath as the first Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.
The fifty-four-year old Abdullah, had previously served as the chief minister of the state of J&K between 2009 and 2014.
He represented Srinagar twice in LoK Sabha from 1998 to 2009 and was the youngest Lok Sabha member and became the youngest Chief Minister of the state of Jammu and Kashmir after forming a coalition government with the Congress party on January 5, 2009.
From 2014 to 2018, Omar served as leader of opposition in the erstwhile J&K state as he represented Beerwah constituency of Budgam district in the legislative assembly which got dissolved in 2018 after President’s rule was imposed in J&K.
The Chief Minister also served as the union Minister of State for external Affairs in Atal Bihari Vajpayee headed National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, from July 23, 2001 to December 23, 2002. However, he resigned from the NDA government in October 2002 to concentrate on party work.
After abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two UTs, along with other leaders Omar Abdullah was detained and on February 6, 2020 the government of India booked him under the Public Safety Act (PSA) which was revoked on March 24, 2020.
He was a member of 14 Lok Sabha, representing Srinagar constituency of Jammu and Kashmir.
Omar took plunge into politics in 1998, as a Lok Sabha member, a feat he repeated in subsequent three elections. In 2002, he took over the reins of NC from his father Farooq Abdullah. He couldn’t retain his own seat Ganderbal, however four years later he contested assembly election and won from the same seat and became chief minister for the first time.
Ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Omar Abdullah showed unwillingness to go for a seat sharing agreement with other political parties under the INDI alliance in Jammu and Kashmir, and insisted on NC contesting all seats in Kashmir region and his decision proved right with NC winning two of the three Lok Sabha seats it contested in Kashmir.
NC fought assembly polls in alliance with Congress and won 42 seats and Congress got six, CPI(M) one and AAP also managed to secure one seat. Later four independent candidates also extended support to Omar in the formation of the new government in Jammu and Kashmir.
The NC Vice President who contested from the two seats of Ganderbal and Budgam won both with an impressive margin. Months ago he suffered a setback in Baramulla when Engineer Rashid defeated him in Baramulla Lok Sabha Constituency by more than two lakh votes. However, defeat forced Omar to work hard and lead from the front which resulted in NC getting a massive mandate after almost three decades in the J&K assembly.
National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah took oath as the first chief minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday (Oct. 16, 2024) following his party’s victory in the recently held maiden assembly election after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Nowshera MLA Surinder Kumar Choudhary, a former BJP leader who joined NC in the recent past, took oath as Deputy Chief Minister. Soon after assuming office, Omar said he had asked the J&K police chief to avoid setting up any ‘green corridor’ or traffic stoppage when he (Omar) or his ministers move anywhere by road. Omar said he instructed the DGP to minimize public inconvenience and ensure the use of sirens was minimal.
Earlier in the day, the oath ceremony of the chief minister and his council of ministers was held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) on the banks of Dal Lake. J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to Omar and five of his ministers including Sakina Masood (Itoo), Javed Dar, Javed Rana, Surinder Choudhary, and Satish Sharma. While Itoo and Dar are from the Kashmir valley, Rana, Choudhary and Sharma are from the Jammu region. The Congress, meanwhile, said it would not join the council of ministers for the moment as it was unhappy that statehood had not been restored.
Security was tightened around the venue of the swearing-in ceremony since a lot of VVIPs attended the event. Omar was unanimously elected the leader of the NC Legislature Party on October 10, setting the stage for his second term as chief minister. His first term, from January 2009 to January 2015 when Jammu and Kashmir was a full-fledged state, was also under an NC-Congress coalition government.
Omar becomes first
The NC won 42 out of the 90 seats that went to the poll in the recent elections, while the Congress won six. Together, the two pre-poll allies hold a majority in the 95-member assembly — five members are to be nominated by the LG.
It is a crown of thorns and may Allah help him fulfil the hopes of people, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said on Wednesday after his son Omar Abdullah took oath as the first chief minister of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Taking a cue from his grandfather, Zahir Abdullah, Omar Abdullah’s son, said the new government’s first priority is restoration of statehood. The state is full of challenges and I hope this government will do what it had promised in the election manifesto It is a crown of thorns and may (almighty) Allah succeed him (Omar) and he fulfils the people’s hope. This is my message, Farooq Abdullah told reporters after the oath-taking ceremony at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC).
After statehood, our true struggle (for restoration of) Article 370 will start. Article 370 will always be our priority, Zahir Abdullah added. Omar Abdullah heads the first elected government in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, when the erstwhile state was bifurcated into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
The Lieutenant Governor administered the Oaths of Office and Secrecy to the above Members of the Council of Ministers at a ceremony held in the SKICC, today.
Shortly after taking oath as Jammu & Kashmir Deputy CM, Nowshera MLA Surinder Kumar Choudhary thanked Farooq and Omar Abdullah for giving him “such a big position”. “With his decision to make me the Deputy CM, Omar Abdullah has proved that Jammu is as important as Kashmir…The honourable Home Minister in Parliament has said that statehood will be restored in J&K. Today when we have been elected by the people here, we hope that Modi ji and Amit Shah ji will restore statehood soon…our priorities will be to bridge the gap which has come in the last 10 years and resolve issues of unemployment, electricity, water, hospitals, schools and tourism…We will also work to resume Darbar Move again,” Choudhary said while speaking to the media after the oath ceremony in Srinagar.
National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Wednesday took charge as the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar, where he held his first meeting with secretaries of various departments. Before taking charge, Omar received Guard of Honour as J&K UT’s first CM at the Secretariat.
Earlier in the day, the oath ceremony of the chief minister and his council of ministers was held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) on the banks of Dal Lake. J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to Omar and five of his ministers including Sakina Masood (Itoo), Javed Dar, Javed Rana, Surinder Choudhary, and Satish Sharma.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee congratulated Omar Abdullah on being sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. In a post on X, Mamata wrote: “I congratulate Mr. Omar Abdullah on his being sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir today. This is his second stint at the helm of the public life in the State, but the juncture today is more historic. I welcome his triumphal return through the elections, which truly constitute the greatest festival of democracy. I congratulate the real architects of the festival, i. e. the people of Jammu and Kashmir, in this festive moment of theirs.”
‘No Green Corridors, we are here to Serve the People’: Omar Abdullah
Following his swearing-in as the first Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory, Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that he has instructed the Director General of Police Jammu and Kashmir to minimise public inconvenience.
In his first post on X after assuming office, the CM stated, “I have spoken to the DG Jammu and Kashmir police that there is to be no ‘green corridor’ or traffic stoppage when I move anywhere by road. I have instructed him to minimize public inconvenience and the use of sirens is to be minimal.”
He further added, “The use of any stick waving or aggressive gestures is to be totally avoided. I’m asking my cabinet colleagues to follow the same example. In everything, our conduct must be people-friendly. We are here to serve the people & not to inconvenience them.” Omar’s comments come given the challenges faced by locals during the movements of VIPs, including the Lieutenant Governor J&K and bureaucrats, which often involved significant security measures along highways.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday expressed happiness over National Conference leader Omar Abdullah taking oath as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and said the two parties will fight jointly to restore statehood.
Kharge was among a galaxy of INDIA bloc leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and left leaders Prakash Karat and D Raja, DMK’s animozhi and NCP’s Supriya Sule who attended the swearing-in ceremony here.
“We are happy that our alliance partner became the chief minister and it is a big success for J-K. Today, democracy has been restored and we will fight together to strengthen it. We will keep fighting till J-K gets back the statehood,” the Congress president said according to PTI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on taking oath as the first Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory on Wednesday. The Prime Minister, in a post on X, said the centre will “work closely” with Omar and his team.
“Congratulations to Shri Omar Abdullah Ji on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Wishing him the very best in his efforts to serve the people. The Centre will work closely with him and his team for J&K’s progress,” PM Modi posted on X.
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to Omar, who takes over as chief minister for a second term and is the third generation of the Abdullah family to occupy the office — after his grandfather Sheikh Abdullah and father Farooq Abdullah. Five ministers — Sakina Masood (Itoo), Javed Dar, Javed Rana, Surinder Choudhary, and Satish Sharma — also took the oath of office.
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Chief Tariq Hameed Karra in a brief statement on Wednesday said that Congress will not join the Ministry in Jammu and Kashmir government at the moment. “Congress has strongly demanded the Centre to restore Statehood to J&K, besides the Prime Minister has time and again in public meetings promised the same. But the Statehood has not been restored to J&K. We are unhappy therefore we are not joining the Ministry at the moment,” JKPCC Chief added and said Congress party will continue to fight for the restoration of statehood
