National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Wednesday was sworn in as the chief minister of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), after guiding his party to a massive victory in the September-October elections.
The 54-year-old leader’s party beat Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and won 42 seats in the 90-member assembly.
It has the support of four Independents and one Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator, according to NDTV.
The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre in Srinagar and was attended by several Indian leaders, and politicians, including India’s opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi.
This will be the first elected government in IIOJK since the abrogation of Article 370.
This marks the second term of Abdullah as region’s chief minister after 2009. He has also earned the distinction of becoming the first chief minister of the region, after its “special status” ended.
Adullah’s father, Farooq Abdullah, served as the CM of IIOJK thrice. Meanwhile, Abdullah’s grandfather, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah served as the IIOJK’s first prime minister.
His grandfather also served as the region’s chief minister.
