Being a CM of a Union Territory comes with its own set of challenges, says Omar Abdullah

Omar Abdullah. (Pic/PTI)

Ahead of his oath-taking ceremony as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah said on Wednesday that he "looks forward" to working in cooperation with the government of India but being the CM of a Union Territory has its challenges, reported news agency ANI.

In an interview with ANI, Omar emphasised restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

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"I have some strange distinctions. I was the last chief minister to serve a full six-year term. Now I'll be the first chief minister of the Union territory of J-K. The last distinction, as in the one of serving six years, I'm quite happy about. Being a CM of a Union Territory is a different matter altogether. It has its own challenges. I hope that the status of a union territory is a temporary one. We look forward to working in cooperation with the government of India to resolve the people's problems and the best way to do that would be to start by restoring statehood to J-K," Omar Abdullah told ANI.

Omar Abdullah said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have faced difficult times and have high expectations from the new government.

"Jammu Kashmir has gone through difficult times. People have many expectations and our challenge is to live up to them. We have a lot to do. We have to give people the hope that this is their government and they will be heard. They have not been heard for the last 5-6 years. It will be our responsibility to listen to them and act on it," Omar stated.

Omar Abdullah is set to take his oath as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar.

The ceremony will be officiated by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who will administer the oath of office to Abdullah along with his council of ministers.

Prominent leaders from the INDIA bloc, including Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Supriya Sule, Prakash Karat, and Kanimozhi, will attend Omar's oath-taking ceremony, with welcoming posters displayed outside Srinagar airport.

This marks the first elected government in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 and the subsequent reorganisation into two Union Territories.

The Congress-National Conference alliance secured 48 seats in the recent Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, with NC winning 42 seats and Congress claiming six.

There had been Presidential rule in Jammu and Kashmir since 2018 until recently, as the Bharatiya Janata Party withdrew its support from the coalition with Mehbooba Mufti's People's Democratic Party.

The recent revocation of Presidential rule has paved the way for this new government formation in the Union Territory.

(With inputs from ANI)