SRINAGAR, OCT 15: Several prominent leaders from the INDIA Alliance have confirmed their attendance at the upcoming swearing-in ceremony of Omar Abdullah, who will be taking oath as the first Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir following the region’s reorganization as a Union Territory.
The ceremony is scheduled to take place on Wednesday at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will administer the oath to the newly elected members of the Jammu & Kashmir Assembly, marking the first elected government since the revocation of Article 370 and 35A by the BJP-led central government on August 5, 2019.
Imran Nabi Dar, spokesperson for the National Conference (NC), told a media outlet that multiple leaders from the INDIA Alliance have been invited to the ceremony. Among those who have confirmed their participation are Akhilesh Yadav, Member of Parliament and President of the Samajwadi Party, and Kanimozhi Karunanidhi from the DMK. Dar also noted that additional confirmations are expected later in the evening.
The NC has extended invitations to key leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, DMK President M.K. Stalin, Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal, and D. Raja. Among those confirmed to attend is CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat, who has already arrived in Srinagar.
Congress leader Ravinder Sharma further confirmed to a media outlet that All India Congress Committee (AICC) President Mallikarjun Kharge will be attending the event. However, there is no confirmation yet on whether Congress Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi will participate.
Sources have also revealed that Supriya Sule from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Sukhbir Singh Badal from the Shiromani Akali Dal are expected to attend. Approximately 50 top leaders are anticipated to be present at the ceremony.
