Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Aug 10
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Monday that his government will expand its Council of Ministers but ruled out any change before India’s Independence Day on August 15, ending months of speculation over the timing of the exercise.
“It will happen sometime, don’t worry,” Abdullah told reporters when asked about the proposed expansion, adding that the process was already under way but that it would not take place before Aug. 15.
The chief minister did not announce a date for the expansion or identify legislators who could be brought into the government.
Abdullah said an immediate change would be inappropriate because ministers had already been assigned responsibilities connected with Independence Day functions and were preparing their speeches.
The latest comments move the expected cabinet exercise to the period after Aug. 15, although its precise timing and scope remain undecided.
Speculation over a reshuffle has continued for months, particularly since a meeting of National Conference legislators at Dachigam on June 3.
The meeting was held amid concerns about the functioning of the government and the performance and accessibility of some ministers.
Legislators were reported to have raised questions about departmental functioning, allocation of funds and the accessibility of ministers to party workers and members of the public. Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary and some other ministers were reportedly criticised.
Abdullah subsequently indicated that changes to the Council of Ministers had become necessary.
On July 1, he had suggested that a reshuffle and expansion could take place around the National Conference’s proposed protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi over restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
That timeline passed without any ministerial changes.
The National Conference later held its statehood protest in Delhi on July 20, led by Abdullah and party president Farooq Abdullah.
The present Council of Ministers has six members: Abdullah, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Sakeena Masood Itoo, Javed Ahmed Rana, Javid Ahmad Dar and independent MLA Satish Sharma.
Under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the Council of Ministers cannot exceed 10 percent of the total strength of the legislative assembly.
With 90 elected members, the ceiling is nine ministers, leaving room for three additional members.
The exercise could involve both the induction of new ministers and redistribution of portfolios among those already in government.
Such a redistribution has attracted attention because several ministers currently hold multiple departments.
The expansion also carries political implications for the National Conference, with a number of legislators remaining outside the government since it was formed.
Abdullah took the oath as chief minister on October 16, 2024, alongside five ministers. Choudhary was appointed deputy chief minister, while Itoo, Rana, Dar, and independent MLA Sharma joined the ministry.
Congress, which contested the 2024 assembly election alongside the National Conference, has remained outside the Council of Ministers.
The party has linked its participation in the government to restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
J&K Congress president Tariq Hamid Karra reiterated that position in July, saying the party would continue supporting the National Conference-led government from outside until statehood was restored.
That stance could limit the possibility of Congress legislators being accommodated in any immediate expansion unless the party changes its position.
For now, Abdullah has provided only one firm indication: the long-awaited cabinet exercise will not take place before Independence Day.
