Omar Abdullah Expands J&K Cabinet, Inducts Four New Ministers From Kashmir Valley

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday expanded his council of ministers, inducting four new ministers, all from the Kashmir Valley, as part of a reshuffle aimed at strengthening his two-year-old government.

Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mir Saifullah, Shameema Firdous and Altaf Ahmad Wani (Kalloo) were administered the oath of office at a ceremony attended by Omar Abdullah, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Chaudhary, Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather and other legislators from the ruling alliance and Opposition parties.

The expanded council follows the resignation of all existing ministers ahead of the reshuffle, allowing the chief minister and the party leadership to constitute a fresh team. The earlier council of ministers had six members.

However, one sitting minister is likely to be dropped, according to reports ahead of the expansion. The government has also considered regional representation and changes in ministerial portfolios as part of the exercise.

Sagar, the National Conference general secretary and a seven-time MLA, was first elected to the Assembly from Batamaloo in 1983 before shifting to Khanyar, which he has represented since 1996. He won the Khanyar seat in the 2024 Assembly elections by defeating independent candidate Sheikh Imran by 9,912 votes.

Saifullah, who represented Kupwara three times, won the Trehgam constituency following delimitation in the 2024 elections. Wani and Firdous entered the council of ministers for the first time. Wani represents Pahalgam, while Firdous is the MLA from Habbakadal. Firdous, who heads the NC women's wing, becomes the second woman in Omar Abdullah's council of ministers after Sakina Itoo.

Sagar took the oath in Urdu, while Saifullah, Firdous and Wani took their oaths in English. Under the applicable rules, a Union Territory cabinet can comprise up to 10 per cent of the Assembly's strength. Jammu and Kashmir has a 90-member Assembly, permitting a maximum of nine ministers, including the chief minister.

The Congress, an ally of the ruling government, has stayed out of the council of ministers, maintaining that it will not join until statehood is restored to Jammu and Kashmir.