Omar Abdullah, dressed in a traditional black sherwani, was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir by Governor NN Vohra on Monday, the ceremony at the General Zorawar Singh auditorium at the University of Jammu was attended by a host of dignitaries including Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
At 38, Omar is the youngest ever Chief Minister in the state, a post that has been held by his grand father – Sheikh Abdullah and father – Farooq Abdullah - in the past.
Ten other ministers of the National Conference-Congress-led coalition government were also sworn in.
Senior Congress leader Tara Chand Sharma was sworn in as the deputy chief minister.
The newly constituted Council of Ministers includes five ministers each from NC and Congress. Also inducted in the ministry were three-time MLA and former JKPCC chief Peerzada Mohmmad Sayeed, Taj Mohideen, Nawang Rigzin Jora, Shyam Lal Sharma ~ all from the Congress, along with NC's six-time MLA Abdul Rahim Rather, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mian Altaf and Surjeet Salathia.
The constitution of the ministry has raised hackles in the Opposition which now plans to corner the newly appointed chief minister over the inclusion of several ‘tainted’ names in his cabinet.
Sources suggest Omar tried to push for a ‘clean’ council of ministers but succumbed to pressure from allies Congress.
The names of at least two Congress leaders sworn in on Monday were implicated in the controversial Srinagar sex scandal, a call girl racket involving ministers, lawmakers, bureaucrats and police officers.
Omar’s coronation, coming after the biggest ever voter turnout in the seven phase polls that started in November, is being as the beginning of a new dawn of hope and optimism in J&K.
Omar was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998 and again for a second term in 1999. He has also had two stints as Union minister of state in the NDA government. He was re-elected as MP for a third time when he won the Srinagar Parliamentary constituency in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls.
At 38, Omar is the youngest ever Chief Minister in the state, a post that has been held by his grand father – Sheikh Abdullah and father – Farooq Abdullah - in the past.
Ten other ministers of the National Conference-Congress-led coalition government were also sworn in.
Senior Congress leader Tara Chand Sharma was sworn in as the deputy chief minister.
The newly constituted Council of Ministers includes five ministers each from NC and Congress. Also inducted in the ministry were three-time MLA and former JKPCC chief Peerzada Mohmmad Sayeed, Taj Mohideen, Nawang Rigzin Jora, Shyam Lal Sharma ~ all from the Congress, along with NC's six-time MLA Abdul Rahim Rather, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mian Altaf and Surjeet Salathia.
The constitution of the ministry has raised hackles in the Opposition which now plans to corner the newly appointed chief minister over the inclusion of several ‘tainted’ names in his cabinet.
Sources suggest Omar tried to push for a ‘clean’ council of ministers but succumbed to pressure from allies Congress.
The names of at least two Congress leaders sworn in on Monday were implicated in the controversial Srinagar sex scandal, a call girl racket involving ministers, lawmakers, bureaucrats and police officers.
Omar’s coronation, coming after the biggest ever voter turnout in the seven phase polls that started in November, is being as the beginning of a new dawn of hope and optimism in J&K.
Omar was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998 and again for a second term in 1999. He has also had two stints as Union minister of state in the NDA government. He was re-elected as MP for a third time when he won the Srinagar Parliamentary constituency in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls.
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