Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi
– Photo: Amar Ujala
Expansion
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi are scheduled to attend the swearing-in ceremony of newly elected Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar today.
The stage is set for Abdullah to take oath as the first Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir following the victory of the National Conference-Congress alliance in the first assembly elections held after the abrogation of Article 370. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will also administer the oath of office and secrecy to the elected ministers along with Abdullah at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Center (SKICC) at 11.30 am.
tight security arrangements
Security has been tightened around the site of the swearing-in ceremony. Many VVIPs will attend the security event. Invitations have been sent to the constituents of the India Alliance to attend the swearing-in ceremony. NC divisional president Kashmir Nasir Aslam Wani said the LG had on Monday invited the National Conference vice-president to take oath as the first chief minister of the union territory.
The invite was sent a day after the Center lifted President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir. Principal Secretary to LG handed over the letter to Abdullah informing him about the date and time of the swearing-in ceremony. Omar was unanimously elected leader of the National Conference legislature party last Thursday, setting the stage for his second term as chief minister. His first term was from 2009 to 2014 when there was a National Conference-Congress coalition government even when Jammu and Kashmir was a full-fledged state.
In the recently held elections, out of 90 seats, NC won 42 seats, while Congress won six seats. Both pre-poll allies have a majority in the 90-member assembly. Five members are to be nominated separately by the LG. His strength has further increased with the support of five elected independent MLAs and the lone elected MLA from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). If sources are to be believed, Omar Abdullah’s Council of Ministers will have a total of 10 members including him. These include Sakina Ittu, Saifullah Mir, Abdul Rahim Rather, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Surinder Singh, Ajay Sadhotra, Pirzada Mohammad Syed and some independents.