Chief minister-designate Omar Abdullah takes oath as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, in Srinagar, Wednesday, Oct 16, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the reason to choose party leader Surender Choudhary from Nowshera in Jammu as his deputy was to give a voice to people of the region and make his government inclusive.
“I had said that we will not allow Jammu to feel that they do not have a voice or representatives in this government. I have chosen a deputy chief minister from Jammu so that the people of Jammu feel that this government is as much theirs as it is of the rest,” the National Conference leader told reporters after being sworn in.
Besides Choudhary, who took oath as deputy chief minister, Satish Sharma and Javed Rana – both from Jammu region – also took oath as ministers. From Kashmir region, only Sakina Itoo and Javeed Dar were sworn in as ministers.
“There are three more vacancies (of ministers) and they will gradually be filled”, Abdullah said.
Choudhary, a seasoned politician, defeated J&K BJP chief Ravindra Raina with a margin of 7,819 votes from Nowshera constituency in border district of Rajouri in Jammu region in the recently conducted assembly polls.
Satish Sharma, who won as an independent candidate from 82-Chhamb assembly constituency in Jammu, recently joined the NC and was rewarded with a ministry.
The BJP almost swept the Jammu plains winning as many as 29 seats. After winning the election, Adbullah had recently stated that the Jammu region will be given due representation in the government.
As Abdullah took on the role of Chief Minister, many will be watching how he navigates the challenges of leading a Union Territory government, where major decisions require the approval of the Lieutenant Governor.
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Assembly Elections 2024 | In the first assembly polls since the Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi and the BJP defeated a rejuvenated and vindicated Opposition in the Haryana assembly polls. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir voted after almost a decade, giving a decisive mandate to the National Conference-Congress alliance. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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