National Conference Vice-President Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the first chief minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. Sakina Ittu, the only woman minister in Omar Abdullah’s cabinet, said they would try their best Meet people’s expectations and work for them.
“It’s a very challenging job now because people have a lot of expectations. But we will try our best to meet those expectations and serve the people as much as possible,” said Sakina Itoo.
People voted in large numbers and took back their democratic rights, she said.
She further said: “There are still many problems. In the past 10 years, people’s democratic rights have been deprived. People have taken back these rights through so many votes. Their voices have been suppressed, ignored, there is no development, the power sector, the health sector have suffered There are many difficulties, prices are rising, and unemployment is increasing.”
Her father Wali Mohammad Itoo, a senior NC leader and former Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, was assassinated by militants.
LG Manoj Saxena administered the oath of office to Abdullah and his Council of Ministers at the Kashmir International Conference Center (SKICC) in Srinagar on Wednesday.
JK Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the Council of Ministers administered the oath of office to Omar Abdullah.
National Conference MLAs from Mendhar Javed Ahmed Rana, Javid Ahmad Dar from Rafiabad, Sakina Itoo from DH Pora and Surinder Kumar Chowdhary were also sworn in as cabinet ministers by LG Sinha.
Satish Sharma, an independent MP from Chhamb seat, got a seat in the Omar Abdullah-led cabinet.
The swearing-in ceremony was also attended by Congress president Malikajun Haq, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The ceremony of JKNC vice-president was attended by many Indian group leaders, including Samajwadi Party Akhilesh Yadav, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Prakash Karat, NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule, DMK MP Kanimozhi, AAP leader Sanjay Singh and CPI leaders D Raja.
People’s Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti also attended the ceremony. Prior to this, the Congress Party won 48 seats in the Jammu Kashmir Assembly elections, of which the Congress won 42 seats and the Congress Party won only 6 seats.
