Omar sworn-in as 11th Chief Minister of J&K

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah sworn in as the eleventh Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir to head the NC-Congress coalition government along with ten ministers on Monday in Jammu, the winter capital of the state.

He and his council of ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor N N Vohra. The swearing-in ceremony took place at General Zorawar Singh stadium in Jammu University, was attended by UPA Chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi among others.

“I am confident to deliver in the state and come up to the expectation of the people of the state,” said the confident-looking Omar after taking the oath.

Former assembly speaker and three-time MLA of Congress, Tara Chand, took the charge of deputy chief minister.

The 38-year-old Omar, scion of the Abdullah family, became the youngest chief minister of the state to date and third in his family after his grandfather Sheikh Abdullah and father Farooq Abdullah. After emerging as the largest party in the assembly elections, his name as the next chief minister was proposed by former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, saying ‘Omar being young and energetic could prove better chief minister when there was lots of work to be done.’ The proposal was unanimously accepted by all NC legislators.

In the seven-phase state assembly elections held between November-December, the National Conference emerged as the largest party bagging 28 of the 87 seats. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) appeared as the second powerful force with 21 seats in its hands, five seats more than the previous assembly polls, followed by Congress 17 and Bharatiya Janata Party 11 seats.

As no party gained the clear majority, NC as the largest political party decided to come in alliance with the like-minded party, Congress to form the next government in the state to be headed by NC leader Omar Abdullah.

Earlier in 1998, Omar Abdullah, who is known for his trademark extempore speeches, was elected to the 12th Lok Sabha and became the youngest minister at the mere age of 29. In 1999, he was re-elected to the 13th Lok Sabha and took oath as Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.