SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is set to expand and reshuffle his two-year-old Council of Ministers on Tuesday, with four National Conference leaders expected to join the government as it moves towards filling the available ministerial positions.
The reshuffle follows the resignation of the existing ministers, paving the way for Omar Abdullah and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah to constitute a reworked team for the Union Territory government.
Officials said the revised Council of Ministers is expected to comprise nine members, including the chief minister. The government has not officially disclosed the names of the new ministers or the distribution of portfolios.
The four National Conference legislators expected to take oath are Ali Mohammad Sagar, Saifullah Mir, Shamim Firdous and Altaf Ahmad Wani, popularly known as Altaf Kalloo.
Sagar, a seven-time MLA, represents Khanyar in Srinagar district. Mir is serving his fourth term as a legislator, having previously represented Kupwara for three consecutive terms before being elected from Trehgam. Firdous represents Habbakadal and is a three-time MLA, while Kalloo is a two-time MLA from Pahalgam and has also served as a Member of the Legislative Council.
While Sagar and Mir have held ministerial positions in earlier governments, Firdous and Kalloo are expected to enter the Council of Ministers for the first time.
The proposed induction would also strengthen regional representation in the government, with Sagar and Firdous representing Srinagar district, Mir representing north Kashmir and Kalloo coming from south Kashmir.
Firdous would become the second woman minister in the Council of Ministers after Sakina Itoo, who currently holds the Health and Medical Education, School Education and Social Welfare portfolios.
Officials indicated that changes in the allocation of departments were also likely as part of the exercise. Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather is among those being discussed for a possible ministerial role, given his experience handling the Finance portfolio in previous National Conference governments.
Satish Sharma, an Independent MLA from Chhamb in Jammu district who holds the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and Sports portfolios, is also likely to be dropped, according to reports.
The earlier Council of Ministers had six members. Under the applicable constitutional framework, the maximum strength of the Council of Ministers in Jammu and Kashmir can be 10 per cent of the 90-member Legislative Assembly.
The Congress, an ally of the government, has maintained that it will not join the Council of Ministers until statehood is restored to Jammu and Kashmir.
