SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir (October 16, 2024): Senior National Conference (NC) leader Nasir Aslam Wani was appointed as an advisor to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday, hours after Abdullah took oath as the first chief minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
According to an official order from Sanjeev Verma, Commissioner and Secretary to the Government, "Nasir Aslam Wani is hereby appointed as advisor to the chief minister."
Omar Abdullah’s swearing-in marks the first elected government in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganization of the former state into two Union Territories in 2019.
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The oath ceremony was administered by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who also swore in new ministers, including Javed Ahmed Rana (Mendhar), Javid Ahmad Dar (Rafiabad), Sakina Itoo (DH Pora), and Surinder Kumar Chowdhary. Satish Sharma, an independent MLA from Chhamb, was also inducted into the cabinet.
Leaders from the opposition INDIA Bloc were present at the event, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat, NCP MP Supriya Sule, DMK MP Kanimozhi, AAP’s Sanjay Singh, and CPI leader D Raja.
The Congress-NC alliance secured 48 seats in the recently concluded Assembly elections, with the NC winning 42 and Congress six. The elections paved the way for the formation of the new government after more than five years of presidential rule.