National Conference leader Omar Abdullah was sworn in as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, as the Union Territory formed its first government in six years. Surinder Singh Choudhary, an MLA from the National Conference who defeated J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina in Nowshera during the Assembly elections, has been appointed Deputy Chief Minister, representing Jammu in the new government.
The Congress, which won six seats in the elections, has opted out of the Cabinet for now, citing the ongoing demand for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, a promise made by the central government. The party has pledged to continue its fight for this cause.
The swearing-in ceremony, held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar, was administered by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. The event was attended by prominent Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
Five MLAs also took their oaths as Cabinet Ministers: Satish Sharma (Independent), Sakina Itoo, Javid Dar, Sunrinder Chowdhury and Javid Rana, all from the National Conference.
This marks Omar Abdullah’s second term as Chief Minister and the first government since the revocation of Article 370 in 2019, which resulted in Jammu and Kashmir being reconstituted as a Union Territory. Before the swearing-in, Abdullah paid tribute to his grandfather, Sheikh Abdullah, the founder of the National Conference, at his mausoleum.
Omar Abdullah previously served as Chief Minister from 2009 to 2014 when Jammu and Kashmir, then a state, was governed by a National Conference-Congress coalition.
Congress Declines Cabinet Posts for Now
Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra confirmed that the party would not join the Cabinet at this time, due to the unfulfilled promise of statehood restoration for Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Congress is not joining the ministry at this moment. We have repeatedly demanded the Centre restore statehood, a promise made by the Prime Minister in public meetings,” said Karra. “Since this has not been done, we are unhappy and will not join the ministry. However, the Congress will continue to fight for the restoration of statehood.”
Omar Abdullah dismissed rumours of a rift between the National Conference and Congress, clarifying that while Congress would not join the Cabinet immediately, discussions were ongoing. He also indicated that not all nine Cabinet positions would be filled right away, leaving some vacancies open for future negotiations with Congress.
In the Assembly elections held in September and October 2025, the National Conference-Congress alliance secured 48 out of 90 seats, with the National Conference winning 42 and the Congress six, making the National Conference the single largest party in the Assembly.
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