National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah on Wednesday took oath as the first Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir after the NC-Congress alliance won the maiden Assembly elections held after the abrogation of Article 370. Before taking oath as Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah paid obeisance at the Hazratbal shrine, and prayed for the peace and prosperity of the Union Territory. INDIA bloc leaders attended the event in full strength. Among those who had gathered at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) were Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, Left leaders Prakash Karat and D Raja, DMK's Kanimozhi and NCP's Supriya Sule. PDP leader and former CM Mehbooba Mufti also attended the event.
The list of ministers who took oath included Javed Ahmed Rana, Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Sakeena Masood, Satish Sharma and Javed Ahmad Dar. While Itoo and Dar are from the Kashmir valley, Rana, Choudhary and Sharma are from the Jammu region.
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Javed Ahmed Rana defeated Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Murtaza Ahmed Khan in Mendhar by 14,906 votes.
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Surinder Kumar Choudhary defeated BJP state chief Ravinder Raina in Nowshera by 7,819 votes.
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Sakeena Masood defeated Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (JKPDP) Gulzar Ahmad Dar in DH Pora by 17,449 votes.
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Satish Sharma, an independent candidate, defeated Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Rajeev Sharma in Chhamb by 6,929 votes.
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Javed Ahmad Dar defeated Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party's (JKAP) Yawar Ahamd Mir by 9,202 votes in Rafiabad.
