Abdullah’s party, called the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, became the largest group in the recent election, and made the decision to form government in coalition with the left-leaning Indian National Congress. Together, both parties hold 44 of 87 seats in the assembly.
After being sworn in, Omar told Indian media that “Good governance and reaching out to the people are my top priorities.” Nine other ministers also took the oath, five of whom were from Congress and four from the National Conference. Tara Chand of Congress became the Deputy Chief Minister.
The recent election in Jammu and Kashmir was widely regarded a successful event. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called the higher-than-expected turnout in elections in disputed Kashmir a “vote for democracy,” with more than 60 percent of voters participating, according to AFP. It attracted the most voters since 1987, with 1354 candidates vying for 87 state seats.
