'My support...': L-G Manoj Sinha ahead of Omar Abdullah's swearing-in
Omar Abdullah will be sworn in as the first Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. The ceremony will be held at 11:30am at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre in Srinagar. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Abdullah and his ministers of choice. The event is historic as it comes after the first assembly elections in J&K since Article 370 was scrapped.
L-G Sinha expresses support for new J&K government
Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, L-G Sinha has extended his support to the new government. He stressed a collaborative role with a common goal of ensuring development for all sections of society. Speaking to The Indian Express, Sinha urged the new chief minister and the elected MLAs to focus on the people's mandate for peace, prosperity, and development of Jammu and Kashmir. "My support will be with the new government," he affirmed.
National Conference-Congress alliance forms new J&K government
The National Conference, headed by Abdullah, won 42 out of 90 seats in the assembly elections. They have formed a coalition government with the Congress, which won six seats. The coalition also has the support of CPI(M), which won one seat, and five Independents.
President's rule lifted, paving way for new J&K government
Notably, President's rule was lifted from Jammu and Kashmir on October 14, clearing the way for the new government. The region had been under President's rule since June 2018 after BJP withdrew support from its coalition with PDP, prompting then CM Mehbooba Mufti's resignation. The swearing-in ceremony is historic as it restores governance to J&K after its reclassification into two Union Territories—Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh—in August 2019.
