SRINAGAR: J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha invited National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah to take oath at 11.30am Wednesday as the first CM since the state became a Union territory in 2019.
Monday’s invitation followed the Centre’s decision to revoke six years of President’s rule in J&K after the collapse of PDP-BJP govt in 2018. “I am pleased to invite you to form and lead the govt of J&K,” Sinha said in his letter, informing that he received a communication on Oct 11 from NC president Farooq Abdullah confirming Omar’s unanimous election as leader of the legislature party.
Sources said Omar is set to be sworn in along with a council of at least nine other members.Though the names of the ministers are yet to be announced, sources said the ministry is likely to include at least one independent MLA. NC spokesperson and MLA Tanveer Sadiq said: “It is the prerogative of the CM to choose his council. It is not wise to speculate about the new cabinet.”
Omar will lead a coalition govt, with NC holding 42 seats, Congress six, one each from CPM and AAP, and support from five independent MLAs — making up 55 legislators in the 95-member assembly, which consists of 90 elected and five nominated members.
The LG also received letters of support from J&K Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra, CPM secretary GN Malik, AAP national secretary Pankaj Kumar Gupta, and independent MLAs Payare Lal Sharma, Satish Sharma, Choudhury Mohammad Akram, Rameshwar Singh, and Muzafar Iqbal Khan.
AAP is lobbying for a cabinet berth for Mehraj Malik, its lone MLA who defeated BJP’s Ganjay Singh Rana in Doda. “We have appealed to the alliance partners to ensure our MLA is given a space in govt,” AAP MP Sanjay Singh said Monday.
The appeal followed AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s visit to Doda, where he expressed gratitude to the people for electing Malik as the party’s first MLA in J&K.
J&K Congress chief Karra said restoration of statehood, land rights, and job-related issues are more important than seeking ministerial positions in the Omar-led govt. “We have not yet discussed the distribution of ministerial berths with NC,” he said.
This will be 54-year-old Omar’s second stint as CM, having first held the position in 2009 when the NC-Congress alliance formed a govt.
However, unlike his previous tenure, Omar must now operate under a centralised governance structure where the LG controls crucial areas such as police, public order, the transfer of officials, and the power to nominate five assembly members.
The changes limit the elected govt’s autonomy, raising concerns about the ability to deliver on campaign promises, including job creation, free electricity, and food distribution. “The LG’s extensive powers — far greater than those in other Union territories — will complicate governance,” a political analyst said.
While senior NC member Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi said the party will continue advocating for the restoration of J&K’s statehood and special status, Omar might opt to defer these demands to avoid friction with BJP-led central govt, sources said.
