National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhavan on Friday evening and staked claim to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir. He handed over letters of support from National Conference, Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, CPI(M) and independent candidates. Omar Abdullah requested the Lieutenant Governor to fix a date for the swearing-in so that the elected government can begin its work.
Omar Abdullah, elected from Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam and Ganderbal assembly, said the swearing-in process will take some time as it is not a case of normal transfer of power. He said, “Jammu and Kashmir is now a Union Territory, which means that Central rule is applicable here. The Lieutenant Governor will have to prepare the documents and first send them to Rashtrapati Bhavan. From there these documents will go to the Home Ministry and then after the completion of the process to the Home Ministry. They will be sent back later, we have been told, which will take about two to three days.”
It is noteworthy that this will be the formation of an elected government in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time after 2018. Governor’s rule was imposed in 2018 after the BJP withdrew support to then chief minister Mehbooba Mufti’s government. Apart from this, this will be the first elected government after the abrogation of Article 370 and reassignment of seats in the region.
Let us tell you that the National Conference and Congress alliance has won 48 seats in the assembly elections. The BJP won 29 seats, in which 28 Hindu and one Sikh members were elected, while all their Muslim candidates faced defeat. Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections were held in three phases after 10 years on 18 September, 25 September and 1 October.
