The Omar Abdullah-led government in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir has named a five-member cabinet comprising four National Conference members and an independent MLA. Congress, which contested the elections in alliance with the National Conference, preferred to stay out of the ministerial berths.
On Wednesday, the new ministers were administered the oath of office at a ceremony held at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre in Srinagar. Others who figure in the list of cabinet members include Sakina Itoo, the only woman minister besides Surinder Choudhary, Javed Rana, Javed Ahmed Dar, and Satish Sharma.
The new cabinet represents all three regions of Kashmir—South, Central, and North. Abdullah is the chief minister from Ganderbal, assisted by two more regional ministers. Three ministers represent the Jammu division.
Sakina Itoo won from the DH Pora assembly segment in Kulgam district by garnering 36,623 votes, a victory margin of 17,449 votes over her nearest rival. She has represented the state for many years in several key portfolios, including social welfare and education, and made history in 1996 as the youngest member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly at the age of 26.
Surinder Choudhary from Nowshera constituency in Jammu, who defeated BJP president Ravinder Raina by over 7,000 votes, was sworn in as deputy minister. The other is Javed Rana, who was elected to the Mendhar assembly segment reserved for Scheduled Tribes with 32,176 votes, thus beating his BJP rival by a thumping majority.
Satish Sharma, an independent candidate elected from Chammb, defeated the BJP leader Rajeev Sharma by 6,929 votes and supported the National Conference-Congress alliance. Javed Ahmed Dar, elected from Rafiabad, joined as a minister under Abdullah during the Congress-NC coalition government.
