Ghulam [Images] Nabi Azad was sworn in as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir [Images] on Wednesday evening in a ceremony at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre in Srinagar [Images].

• Azad's toughest challenge

He took the oath of office in English.

The ceremony was attended by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Congress general secretary incharge of J&K affairs Ambika Soni, National Conference President Omar Abdullah and Farooq Abdallah, besides Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal.

Legislature Party leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister, replacing Mangat Ram Sharma of the Congress.

The 12-member cabinet comprises Mangat Ram Sharma, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed and Taj Mohiuddin (all from Congress), associate Congress member Jitender Singh alias Babu Singh, People's Democratic Party leader Abdul Aziz Zargar, Tariq Hamid Qarra and Qazi Mohammad Afzal, Peoples Democratic Forum Chairman Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, and Independents from Ladakh -- Nawang Rigzin Zora Haji Nissar Ali and Gurcharan Singh Charak.

Bhim Singh-led Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party, which has four MLAs, chose to keep out of the Azad-led government after having been a constituent of the previous ministry headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for three years.

The party said it would support the new dispensation from outside.