’I have some strange distinctions,’ says Omar Abdullah ahead of taking oath as Jammu and Kashmir CM in Srinagar today

Chief Minister-designate Omar Abdullah offered floral tributes at the Mazar-e-Anwar – the mausoleum of National Conference founder and his grand father, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, in Srinagar – hours ahead of his swearing-in as Jammu and Kashmir's next chief minister on Wednesday, October 16.

Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, was the first Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir after its accession to India and later served as Chief Minister. Omar's father Farooq Abdullah has been the CM of the erstwhile state thrice.

"We have a lot to do. We have to give people the hope that this is their government and they will be heard. They were not being heard for the last 5-6 years. It will be our responsibility to listen to them and act on it,." Omar said after paying tributes to his grand father at the mausoleum in Hazratbal neighborhood of Srinagar.

Abdullah will be sworn in as the first chief minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. This will be his second term as J&K CM. In the first term, Abdullah was the CM of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir between January 5, 2009 and January 8, 2015.

First CM of J&K UT

"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...I hope that the status of a union territory is a temporary one. We look forward to working in cooperation with 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, " he said.

The National Conference-Congress alliance won the maiden assembly elections held after the abrogation of Article 370. The oath-taking ceremony will be held at Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), Srinagar and the oath of office to Abdullah along with his council of ministers will be administered by J-K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

This will be the first elected government in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganization of the former state into two Union Territories.

Omar, a former Member of Parliament was the Chief Minister of the erstwhile state between 2009-2015. He had also served as Union Minister of State for External Affairs in former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA government from 2001 to 2002.

Jammu and Kashmir was under the Presidential rule since 2018, after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) withdrew its support from the coalition government with Mehbooba Mufti-led People's Democratic Party (PDP).

Recently, the president's rule in Jammu and Kashmir was revoked, clearing the way for the formation of a new government following the recently concluded Assembly polls in the Union Territory.

Many INDIA Bloc leaders, including Congress party's Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, are expected to take part in the oath-taking ceremony of Omar today. Leaders including Akhilesh Yadav, Prakash Karat, Supriya Sule, and Kanimozhi have arrived in Srinagar to attend the oath-taking ceremony.

(With ANI inputs)