Omar Abdullah sworn in, Tara Chand to be deputy CM

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the 11th chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in Jammu on Monday.

The ten member council of ministers includes Congress leader Tara Chand, who took oath as the deputy chief minister.

Besides Abdullah, Mian Altaf Ahmad, Abdul Rahim Rather, Surjit Singh Salathia and Ali Mohammad Sagar of the NC and Taj Mohiuddin, Nawang Rigzin Jora, Shamlal Sharma and Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed of the Congress were also sworn in as cabinet ministers.

State governor N N Vohra administered the oath of office and secrecy to the council of ministers, headed by Omar Abdullah, at the General Zorawar Singh Auditorium inside the Jammu University.

On Sunday evening, Congress Legislature Party leader Chowdhary Mohammad Aslam and Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz had met Vohra and handed over a letter of support for the NC-Congress coalition in the state. Earlier, Omar had been elected as the leader of the NC legislature party.