SPECULATION, SUSPENSE, EXITS, INDUCTIONS : All eyes on J&K cabinet reshuffle today

Srinagar, Oct 26: After months of political speculation, intense consultations and uncertainty over ministerial berths, all eyes are on the much-awaited expansion and reshuffle of the Omar Abdullah-led Council of Ministers today, with four new ministers likely to be inducted and one incumbent expected to be dropped in the first major restructuring of the Jammu and Kashmir government since its formation in October 2024.

Highly placed sources told Rising Kashmir that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has finalised a major shake-up of his ministry, with senior National Conference leaders MLA Khanyar Ali Mohammad Sagar, MLA Pahalgam Altaf Ahmad Kaloo, MLA Habba Kadal Shameema Firdous and MLA Trehgam Mir Saifullah likely to be inducted, while incumbent minister Satish Sharma is expected to be dropped.

The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled for 10:30 am at Lok Bhavan in Srinagar, bringing months of deliberations over the composition of the ministry to a decisive stage.

Sources said the proposed changes followed extensive political consultations over the past several weeks, with the Chief Minister moving to accommodate senior party leaders while restructuring the existing ministerial lineup.

The exercise assumes particular significance as it involves not merely filling vacant ministerial berths but also dropping a sitting minister, making it the first major reshuffle of the National Conference-led government since it assumed office two years ago.

The developments come against the backdrop of a final attempt by the National Conference leadership on Monday evening to secure the participation of its alliance partner Congress, which has remained outside the ministry despite supporting the government.

Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra, as quoted by the Srinagar based news agency, Kashmir News Service (KNS), said that National Conference decision-makers had contacted him with a fresh offer to join the cabinet, but said the Congress had reiterated its principled stand against accepting ministerial positions until Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood was restored.

Karra said the party would not sacrifice its position on statehood for the sake of a cabinet berth, making it clear that the Congress would continue as an alliance partner without joining the Council of Ministers.

The latest refusal has brought clarity to the Congress’s position ahead of the expansion, allowing the National Conference leadership to proceed with its proposed ministerial changes.

Among the leaders likely to be inducted, Ali Mohammad Sagar is one of the National Conference’s senior-most figures, with decades of legislative and administrative experience and previous ministerial responsibilities.

Shameema Firdous, another former minister and senior party leader, is expected to return to the Council of Ministers, strengthening women’s representation in the government.

Mir Saifullah, a former minister and senior National Conference leader from north Kashmir, is also among those tipped for induction, while Pahalgam legislator Altaf Ahmad Kaloo is expected to join the ministry.

The possible removal of Satish Sharma, an independent legislator from Chhamb who was inducted into the government in October 2024, is among the most significant aspects of the proposed reshuffle.

His exit would mark the first major change involving an incumbent minister since the formation of the Omar Abdullah government.

The cabinet expansion has remained pending for several months, with political discussions revolving around regional representation, the accommodation of senior National Conference legislators and the Congress’s continued refusal to join the ministry.

The Omar Abdullah-led government was formed following the 2024 Assembly elections, the first held in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganisation of the erstwhile state into a Union Territory in August 2019.

At the time, several ministerial positions were left vacant, leaving room for a subsequent expansion and the possible accommodation of Congress representatives.

However, the Congress has maintained that restoration of statehood remains central to its political position and has repeatedly declined ministerial participation.

If the proposed four inductions and one exit take place, the Council of Ministers will reach its maximum permissible strength of nine members, including the Chief Minister.

The reshuffle comes as the National Conference-led government enters its third year in office, with the new ministerial composition expected to influence the next phase of governance.

With the oath-taking ceremony scheduled for this morning, political attention now centres on the final ministerial lineup, the fate of the incumbent ministers and the distribution of portfolios following the expansion.