Omar Abdullah is poised to take the oath as the first chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir since its transition to a Union Territory, following his National Conference (NC) party's success in the region's inaugural Assembly election after the abrogation of Article 370.

The swearing-in ceremony for Abdullah and his council of ministers is scheduled for today at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), as reported by news agency PTI. Jammu and Kashmir's Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, will administer the oath at 11:30 am.

In remarks to reporters in Srinagar, Abdullah emphasized the importance of addressing the public's grievances, stating, "We have a lot to do." He assured citizens that their voices would be heard after years of neglect. "It will be our responsibility to listen to them and act on it," he added.

The NC has extended invitations to leaders from the INDIA alliance for the ceremony, including prominent figures such as Rahul Gandhi, Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, NCP President Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, and RJD's Lalu Prasad Yadav. Other notable invitees include Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Mehbooba Mufti of the PDP, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and AAP's Arvind Kejriwal. However, NC Kashmir provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani stated that it remains unclear who will attend.

Lt Governor Manoj Sinha formally invited Abdullah to take the oath following the revocation of President's rule in the Union Territory. In a letter to Abdullah, Sinha acknowledged the unanimous election of Abdullah as the Leader of the Legislature Party by Dr. Farooq Abdullah, President of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference.

Omar Abdullah's election as the leader of the NC Legislature Party paves the way for his second term as Chief Minister. His first term lasted from 2009 to 2014, during which Jammu and Kashmir was a fully-fledged state under an NC-Congress coalition government.

In the recent elections, the NC secured 42 out of 90 seats, while the Congress won six, collectively forming a majority in the 95-member assembly, which also includes five members nominated by the Lieutenant Governor. Their coalition is further bolstered by the support of five Independent MLAs-elect and one MLA-elect from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).