Four berths, many broken hearts in NC

Srinagar, Oct 27: Four ministerial berths in Jammu and Kashmir’s expanded Council of Ministers have brought fresh faces into the government but also exposed simmering discontent within the National Conference (NC), with disappointed legislators and supporters questioning the party’s choices.

The four new ministers—Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mir Saifullah, Shameem Firdous and Altaf Ahmad Kaloo—were sworn in by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. Their induction brought the Council of Ministers to its maximum permissible strength, leaving no additional ministerial berths immediately available without another change in its composition.

As Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to the four new ministers at Lok Bhavan on Tuesday, signs of resentment emerged within the ruling party.

The exclusion of several legislators who had expected ministerial accommodation triggered unease, with reactions ranging from disappointment to public protest.

Senior NC leader and MLA Abdul Majeed Larmi acknowledged that he was hurt by the decision but said he would continue to work. “I am hurt, but I will continue,” Larmi said, conveying his disappointment while stopping short of turning it into a confrontation with the party leadership.

In contrast, National Conference MLA from Baramulla district, Javaid Hassan Baig, said he had no grudges against the party leadership or any party leader, signalling his willingness to maintain cordial relations despite the outcome of the cabinet expansion.

The differing responses reflect the challenge facing legislators overlooked in the reshuffle: expressing disappointment over being denied a ministerial berth while remaining committed to the party and its political future.

The absence of Gurez MLA Nazir Ahmad Khan, popularly known as Nazir Gurezi, from the oath-taking ceremony added to speculation about the mood within the party. His non-attendance came against the backdrop of the ministerial reshuffle, although the reason for his absence was not independently established.

The most visible expression of discontent came from supporters of Eidgah MLA Mubarak Gul, who staged a protest outside the National Conference headquarters at Nawa-e-Subh in Srinagar.

Gul, a senior party leader and former Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, had openly expressed his disappointment at being left out of the ministry. The protest brought the internal discontent into public view, turning what was expected to be a routine cabinet expansion into a moment of political unease for the ruling party.

Gul said he had been offered the post of the party’s general secretary but indicated that he would announce his final decision after addressing the media.

The offer could provide an alternative organisational role for the veteran leader, but his position remains unclear until he makes a formal announcement. His decision is likely to be closely watched for what it signals about his future role in the party.

The episode has underlined the challenges of balancing organisational seniority, electoral representation and competing regional expectations while constituting a ministry. In a party with several experienced legislators, every ministerial appointment also means a decision about who must wait outside the government.

Rajouri MLA Iftikhar Ahmed, meanwhile, said the selection of ministers was the Chief Minister’s prerogative, defending Omar Abdullah’s authority to decide the composition of his Council of Ministers.

His remarks highlighted the other side of the debate within the party: cabinet formation ultimately rests with the head of the government, even when individual legislators and their supporters feel overlooked.

For the National Conference, the task now extends beyond allocating portfolios and beginning administrative work. The leadership must also manage the disappointment of leaders who have spent years building the party’s organisation and winning elections but have once again found themselves outside the cabinet.

Larmi’s pledge to continue despite being hurt, Baig’s statement that he harbours no grudges, Gurezi’s absence from the ceremony and Gul’s public displeasure have brought different responses to the reshuffle into sharp focus.

The immediate test for the party leadership will be whether the resentment remains confined to expressions of disappointment or develops into a wider organisational challenge. With Gul yet to announce his final decision on the general secretary’s post, the political aftershocks of the cabinet expansion may continue even after the oath-taking ceremony has concluded.