President's Rule in Jammu and Kashmir has been withdrawn, clearing the way for the formation of a new government in the Union Territory. This follows a meeting between National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. Abdullah staked a claim to form the new government after the recent Assembly elections.
The official notification, signed by President Droupadi Murmu, revokes the earlier order from 31 October 2019, under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
Omar Abdullah was unanimously chosen as the leader of the National Conference legislative party. This decision positions him for a second term as Chief Minister, his first being from 2009 to 2014, during the NC-Congress coalition.
The Assembly elections were the first held in Jammu and Kashmir after a decade. President’s Rule had been in place since 2018 when the PDP-BJP alliance collapsed. In 2019, the central government revoked Article 370, reorganising the state into a Union Territory.
In the election, the National Conference (NC) secured 42 seats, while Congress won six seats, forming a pre-poll alliance with NC. They are further supported by four independent MLA-elects and one member from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The BJP emerged as the second-largest party with 29 seats.
The election took place in three phases — on 18 September, 25 September, and 1 October — and was significant as the first election since the abrogation of Article 370.
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