SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday expanded and reshuffled the Jammu and Kashmir Council of Ministers, inducting four National Conference (NC) legislators during a swearing-in ceremony administered by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Lok Bhawan.
The expansion saw senior legislators Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mir Saifullah, Shamima Firdous and Altaf Ahmad Wani, popularly known as Altaf Kaloo, take the oath of office and secrecy. Sagar, a seven-time legislator, represents a constituency in Srinagar, while Saifullah represents Trehgam, Firdous Habbakadal and Kaloo Pahalgam.
Sagar took the oath in Urdu, while Saifullah, Firdous and Kaloo took their oaths in English. The reshuffle also saw independent legislator Satish Sharma dropped from the Council of Ministers.
However, the exercise triggered resentment among some senior ruling party legislators who were left out, while the Opposition criticised the government over what it described as regional, religious and cultural imbalances in the new ministry.
Bypassed Legislators Express Disappointment
Senior NC legislator Abdul Majid Larmi expressed disappointment over his exclusion, questioning the decision to induct Kaloo instead.
“My heart is hurt (Dil toh dukha hai),” Larmi told reporters outside Lok Bhawan, saying his name had figured prominently in the initial selection process and that he had received assurances before the expansion.
“I am senior to Altaf Kaloo and was more deserving. He arrived only yesterday and is junior to me. While I remain a loyal soldier of the National Conference and will continue working for the party even if I get nothing, merit and seniority should have been honoured,” he said.
Former minister Mubarak Gul also expressed disappointment over being left out, having previously spoken about being overlooked during successive administrations.
NC Leaders Defend Cabinet Choices
Defending the leadership’s decision, newly inducted minister Mir Saifullah rejected suggestions of a serious rift within the party, describing the National Conference as a family.
“A party is a family; no one remains angry,” Saifullah told reporters. “In a family, everyone stands together. Someone becomes a minister, someone is an MLA and someone is a party worker. Resentment is their personal view, and I will not comment on individual remarks.”
He said his four terms as an MLA and 20 years of service made him deserving of a ministerial berth.
NC minister Javed Rana also backed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the party leadership, saying the decision had the support of party leaders and legislators.
“Whatever decision the party high command has made is the right decision, and all our party leaders and MLAs are entirely in agreement with it,” Rana said.
NC legislator Salman Ali Sagar acknowledged that legislators naturally aspire to ministerial positions but said the leadership had to work within constitutional limits on the size of the Council of Ministers.
He said the leadership had sought to ensure representation from North, South and Central Kashmir, as well as Jammu, within the available positions.
BJP Alleges Regional, Religious Imbalance
Leader of the Opposition and BJP leader Sunil Sharma criticised the reshuffle, alleging that it had resulted in an unprecedented regional, religious and cultural imbalance.
“Who is angry and who is happy within their party is their internal affair, and we have nothing to do with that,” Sharma told reporters.
“However, for the very first time, an unprecedented regional, religious and cultural imbalance has been seen. Governments are not formed merely to win elections; governments must take every section, religion and region along, which is completely missing today,” he said.
Asked about the reported discontent within the ruling alliance, Sharma said it was too early to draw conclusions.
“It has barely been a few minutes since the oath; keep calm and have some patience (shanti rakho, sabar rakhein), everything will unfold in due time,” he said.
Congress Reaffirms Decision to Stay Out of Cabinet
Meanwhile, the Congress reiterated its decision not to join the Jammu and Kashmir Council of Ministers until full statehood is restored.
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra dismissed speculation that the party was seeking ministerial positions.
“We have taken a principled stand since August 2024 in the presence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi that we will not join the cabinet of a Union Territory until full statehood is restored,” Karra said.
“We cannot sacrifice our principled stand for a mere cabinet berth,” he added.
Congress MLA Irfan Hafiz Lone, displaying a copy of the Constitution of India outside Lok Bhawan, said the government’s performance on public welfare and the restoration of statehood should take precedence over individual ministerial ambitions.
“Everyone cannot be made a minister; that is understandable,” Lone said.
He said the key concerns were whether the government would fulfil its commitments to daily wagers and unemployed people and pursue the restoration of full statehood and constitutional rights.
