Amid reports that the ruling National Conference (NC) in Jammu and Kashmir is actively discussing a possible cabinet expansion, with a decision likely after the upcoming by-elections for two Assembly seats, there has been no official confirmation from the government so far.
The Omar Abdullah-led government presently comprises five cabinet ministers. The Congress, which fought the polls in alliance with the NC, has opted to stay out of the government.
The current cabinet includes Sakina Itoo, the lone woman minister, along with Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, Javed Rana, Javed Ahmed Dar, and Satish Sharma. The lineup ensures representation from all three regions of Kashmir — South, Central, and North — while the Jammu division has three ministers. Omar Abdullah, representing Ganderbal, serves as the Chief Minister.
According to party insiders, cabinet expansion has been discussed several times in the past. “It is the prerogative of the Chief Minister. The matter has come up on multiple occasions,” a senior NC leader told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS), adding that the final decision will rest with the Chief Minister and party’s top leadership.
Interestingly it has been a year since the formation of the government, and no expansion has taken place yet. In a recent media interaction, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the issue was “under active consideration,” Acknowledging the constraints of the Union Territory setup, the Chief Minister had said the “artificially low number” of ministers allowed impacts regional representation. “But this belief that unless you are a minister you can’t work for an area is incorrect. I am not the Chief Minister of Ganderbal, and Sakina is not the minister for Noorbabad alone, but for the entire J&K,”.
Omar Abdullah had also confirmed the possibility of adding more ministers, saying, “It is something I am actively considering. We will see what happens.”
Sources indicated that before any decision on expansion, NC’s Core Committee will recommend names for the new ministerial lineup, with a particular focus on enhancing representation for Central Kashmir, a region that has long demanded greater political inclusion.
“The expansion if happens, will aim to ensure inclusivity and strengthen governance across all the regions of Jammu and Kashmir,” a top NC leader told KINS.(KINS) Ishtiyaq Kar
