Today in Politics: Rahul, Akhilesh to attend Omar swearing-in in Srinagar, Stalin to give event a miss

Congress’s screening committee to meet to deliberate Maharashtra candidates; Amit Shah, MP CM Mohan Yadav to oversee BJP Legislature Party meeting in Haryana

Jammu and Kashmir CM-elect Omar Abdullah. (Express file photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

INDIA bloc leaders Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav will be in attendance as National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah takes oath as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.

“The chief minister and his ministers will be administered the oath of office and secrecy by J-K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at 11:30 am,” an official said. Security has been tightened around the venue of the swearing-in ceremony, the officials said.

While DMK chief and Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin will give the event, to be held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), a miss. Party MP Kanimozhi will represent the party.

Sinha on Monday had invited the NC vice president to take oath as the J&K chief minister, a day after the Centre revoked President’s Rule in the erstwhile state.

Also Read | As Omar Abdullah prepares to return as J&K CM, why realism is his watchword

Abdullah was unanimously elected the leader of the NC Legislature Party on Thursday after his party won 42 out of the 90 seats which went to poll in the recent elections, while the Congress won six. Together, the two pre-poll allies hold a majority in the 95-member assembly — five members are to be nominated by the LG.

Their strength is further bolstered by the support from five Independent MLAs-elect and a lone AAP MLA-elect.

Shah to attend Haryana BJP Legislature Party meeting

The Haryana BJP Legislature Party meeting will likely be held on Wednesday in the presence of party observers, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

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BJP leader Nayab Singh Saini will be formally elected as the leader of the BJP’s legislature party at the meeting, following which his name will formally be declared for the Chief Minister’s post.

Also Read | Haryana: Newly elected BJP MLAs to elect leader today

The swearing-in ceremony of the new BJP government in Haryana will be held on October 17 in Panchkula, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leaders attending the event.

“We have got the nod of the prime minister and on October 17, the oath-taking ceremony of the chief minister and his council of ministers will take place in Panchkula,” Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had earlier said.

Congress to deliberate on Maharashtra candidates

A day after the Election Commission (EC) announced polling dates for Maharashtra and Jharkhand, the Congress’s screening committee will huddle to deliberate candidates for the single-phased November 20 Assembly polls in Maharashtra.

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Also Read | Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Full schedule, constituency list, key candidates and all you need to know

The meeting comes close on the heels of an “unexpected” loss for the party in Haryana. The Congress is going into the Maharashtra polls as a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which comprises the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP). Congress leaders earlier this week claimed seat-sharing for most of the 288 seats going to polls have been finalised with its alliance partners.

– With PTI inputs