President’s rule revoked in J&K, paves way for Omar Abdullah’s government

The President’s rule has been withdrawn in Jammu and Kashmir, clearing the way for the formation of a new government in the Union Territory, according to an official order.
This comes after National Conference leader Omar Abdullah met with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday to stake claim to form a new government following the recently concluded Assembly polls in J&K.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 73 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 (34 of 2019) read with Articles 239 and 239A of the Constitution of India, the order dated the 31st October 2019 about the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall stand revoked immediately before the appointment of the chief minister under Section 54 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019,” the notification signed by President Droupadi Murmu was quoted by news agency PTI in its report.
President’s rule was imposed in the region after the PDP-BJP alliance crumbled on June 19, 2018.
In 2019, the government abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution and denominated the erstwhile state into a Union Territory.
Omar Abdullah was unanimously chosen as the leader of the National Conference legislative party on Thursday, paving the way for his second term as chief minister.
His first term, from 2009 to 2014, when Jammu and Kashmir was a state, was also under the NC-Congress coalition government.
On Saturday, National Conference President Farooq Abdullah stated that the main objective of the new government would be to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
“Our priority will be to unite Jammu and Kashmir and end the hatred spread during the election. Statehood must be restored so the state can function properly, and we can get on with our duties,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI in its report.
The Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir were conducted for the first time after a gap of 10 years.
The National Conference (NC) won 42 seats in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, while Congress secured just six — five in Kashmir and one in Jammu.
The two parties had formed a pre-poll alliance. Their position is strengthened by the support of four independent MLA-elects and one from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the second-largest party with 29 seats.
The election, held in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, was the first since Article 370 was revoked, making it a historic event.