J&K legislatures administered oath

Chief minister Omar Abdullah, who has won from Budgam and Ganderbal constituencies, took the oath first

The newly elected legislators of Jammu and Kashmir took oath in the J&K assembly on Monday after six years of pause in the legislative activities owing to central or governor’s rule.

The new MLAs were administered oath by pro-tem speaker Mubarak Gul. (ANI)

The new MLAs were administered oath by pro-tem speaker Mubarak Gul.

Chief minister Omar Abdullah, who has won from Budgam and Ganderbal constituencies, took the oath first. He took the pledge in Kashmiri. Omar speaks broken Kashmiri as he has been educated outside the state and is not a fluent native speaker.

The pro-tem speaker Gul informed that Omar Abdullah has retained the Ganderbal seat while resigning from Budgam assembly constituency.

Following Omar, deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary, who is MLA Nowshera, took the oath.

While 51 of the legislators are first time members, there are veteran politicians who would take oath for the seventh term like NC leader Rahim Rather and Ali Mohammad Sagar.

Earlier, the members expressed happiness to be part of the new assembly.

“People were waiting for this for so many years that they have their own government. That day has come and the time has come to work,” said Zadibal MLA Tanvir Sadiq.