SRINAGAR: Four National Conference leaders are being inducted into Jammu and Kashmir’s Council of Ministers as Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha administers the oath of office and secrecy at Lok Bhavan in Srinagar on Tuesday.
The expansion is part of a restructuring of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s cabinet, with changes in ministerial responsibilities and the possible dropping of some existing ministers also expected.
The four legislators are Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mir Saifullah, Shameema Firdous and Altaf Ahmad Kalloo. Omar Abdullah reached the venue earlier in the morning as guests gathered for the ceremony.
The reshuffle follows the resignation of all five incumbent ministers, paving the way for the Chief Minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah to reconstitute the ministerial team.
The allocation of portfolios is expected to determine the responsibilities of the newly inducted ministers and other members of the Council of Ministers.
The Congress has decided not to join the expanded cabinet, maintaining that it will stay out of the government until Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood is restored. The party will continue to support the government from outside the Council of Ministers.
Further details regarding the portfolio allocation and the final composition of the cabinet are awaited.
