Just a day after taking oath as the first Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah chaired his maiden cabinet meeting on Thursday at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar, marking the beginning of his new tenure.
The meeting, attended by senior officials and cabinet members, was a crucial step in laying down the priorities of the new administration. Later in the day, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary led a delegation to meet Omar Abdullah at his residence in Gupkar. Key political figures, including Party Treasurer Shammi Oberoi, Political Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani, and senior NC leader Rattan Lal Gupta, were also present at the meeting, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) informed via a post on X.
In his first public message after assuming office, Abdullah underscored his government’s commitment to ensuring smooth governance with minimal disruption to public life. “I have spoken to the DG @JmuKmrPolice. There will be no ‘green corridors’ or traffic stoppages when I travel by road. Public inconvenience must be kept to a minimum, and the use of sirens will be limited,” he posted on X.
Abdullah further emphasized the importance of respectful conduct by public officials, directing his cabinet to avoid aggressive behavior. “Our conduct must remain friendly. We are here to serve the people, not to inconvenience them,” he asserted.
This marks Abdullah’s return to the top office after previously serving as Chief Minister from 2009 to 2014. His National Conference (NC)-led government has gained the support of the Congress and four independent members, forming a coalition under the INDIA alliance banner.
The recently concluded assembly elections—held after a decade-long gap—saw the NC-Congress alliance secure a majority, with JKNC winning 42 seats and Congress taking six. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also made significant inroads, bagging 29 seats, while the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won three. One seat each went to the People’s Conference, CPI-M, and AAP, with seven more won by independents.
(Inputs from ANI)
