SRINAGAR, Oct 16: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has appointed Surender Choudhary, a party leader from Nowshera in Jammu, as his deputy. This decision is aimed at ensuring representation for the region and fostering an inclusive government. Abdullah expressed his commitment to taking everyone along, stating, “Our endeavour will be to take everyone along.”
Choudhary, a notable political figure who previously served with both the PDP and BJP, made headlines for defeating BJP’s J-K president Ravinder Raina in Nowshera by a margin of 7,819 votes. Abdullah emphasized that the choice of a deputy chief minister from Jammu was deliberate to ensure that the people of the region feel represented and valued in the new government.
“I had said that we will not allow Jammu to feel that they do not have a voice or representatives in this government. I have chosen a deputy chief minister from Jammu so that the people of Jammu feel that this government is as much theirs as it is of the rest,” Abdullah stated.
The swearing-in ceremony also saw five ministers take their oaths: Sakina Masood (Itoo), Javed Dar, Javed Rana, Surinder Choudhary, and Satish Sharma. Abdullah noted that there are currently three vacancies in the cabinet, which will be filled gradually.
This marks the first elected government since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, which resulted in the bifurcation of the former state into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. In the recent assembly elections, the National Conference secured 42 out of 90 seats, while its alliance partner, Congress, won six. Together, the two parties hold a majority in the 95-member assembly, which includes five members to be nominated by the Lieutenant Governor.
