Omar Abdullah, Vice President of the National Conference, was sworn in as the Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) earlier today. Five other ministers also took the oath, including Surinder Choudhary, who has been appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister. Sakina Itoo, the only woman among the group, secured her seat in the Assembly from the Noorabad constituency in Kulgam, South Kashmir. Others sworn in include Javed Rana from Mendhar in Rajouri, former minister Javed Dar, independent legislator from Chamb in Jammu, and Satish Sharma. In the hours leading up to the ceremony, the Congress decided to stay out of the government, opting instead to provide external support. "The Congress will not join the council of ministers in J&K for the moment. The party is unhappy that statehood has not been restored to J&K," Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President Tariq Hameed Karra told PTI.