Newly elected members of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly took their oaths, officiated by pro-tem speaker Mubarak Gul.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah led the ceremony by pledging in Kashmiri, while Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary took his oath in English.
This event marks the conclusion of a six-year gap in legislative activity.
Among the 51 first-time MLAs is 29-year-old BJP member Shagun Parihar, the youngest in the assembly, while NC veteran Abdul Rahim Rather, at 80, is the oldest.
Rather and colleague Ali Mohammad Sagar have been elected for a record seven terms.
The National Conference emerged as the largest party in the assembly elections held in September and October, forming a government with the support of Congress, independents, the AAP, and CPI(M), while the BJP secured 29 seats, marking its strongest performance in J&K to date. (KNS).
