Srinagar, Oct 27 (KNS): Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday completed the long-awaited expansion of his Council of Ministers, taking it to the maximum permissible strength of nine, but the political exercise that ended months of suspense over ministerial appointments immediately opened a new chapter of discontent within the ruling National Conference, with several senior legislators expressing disappointment over their exclusion.
Four National Conference legislators, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mir Saifullah, Shamima Firdous and Altaf Ahmad Wani, popularly known as Altaf Kaloo were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Lok Bhavan in Srinagar, while Independent legislator Satish Sharma was dropped from the ministry.
The expansion, the first major restructuring of the Omar Abdullah government since it assumed office in October 2024, brought the Council of Ministers to its constitutional ceiling under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, leaving no vacant berth for further accommodation without another reshuffle.
However, even as the government completed its ministerial team, disappointment surfaced among senior party leaders who had expected a place in the Cabinet, turning what was intended to be a demonstration of political consolidation into an immediate test of the National Conference leadership's ability to manage competing aspirations.
Among those left out were Gurez MLA Nazir Ahmad Gurezi and Eidgah MLA Mubarak Gul, and Anantnag West legislator Abdul Majeed Larmi, whose reactions brought the internal political consequences of the expansion into sharp focus.
Gurezi, who had figured prominently among the contenders for a ministerial berth, stayed away from the swearing-in ceremony. His exclusion subsequently prompted newly inducted ministers Mir Saifullah and Altaf Kaloo to visit his residence at Tulsi Bagh in Srinagar.
The ministers were accompanied by legislators as efforts began to persuade the senior leader to accept the party leadership's decision.
Sources said that Gurezi was unhappy over his exclusion and that the visiting leaders had attempted to address his concerns. There was, however, no immediate confirmation that the discussions had succeeded in resolving the matter.
Disappointment was equally visible in Srinagar, where Mubarak Gul, a veteran National Conference leader and former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, publicly expressed his frustration at being overlooked once again.
Speaking to reporters outside the oath-taking venue, Gul said he had attended numerous swearing-in ceremonies over the years without finding a place in the ministry.
"I have attended at least 20 oath-taking ceremonies, but I have always been dropped, and I have been dropped this time as well. I will talk at an appropriate time," he said.
In an apparent attempt to address the situation, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah subsequently appointed Gul as the party's general secretary. However, reports later in the day suggested that Gul had not accepted the organisational assignment, while some of his supporters in Eidgah were pressing him to take a stronger stand over his exclusion.
Another expression of disappointment came from Abdul Majeed Larmi, the National Conference MLA from Anantnag West, who said his seniority, loyalty and dedication to the party had made him deserving of a ministerial position.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
"My heart hurts because I was a senior. Secondly, I was honest. Thirdly, I was loyal. Fourthly, I was dedicated," Larmi said, making little attempt to conceal his disappointment.
He said he had expected to be considered for induction but maintained that he respected the leadership's decision and would continue working for the party.
"I am a soldier of the party. God willing, we will work for the party. Such situations keep coming up," he said.
Under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the Council of Ministers in the Union Territory cannot exceed 10 per cent of the total membership of the Legislative Assembly. With the Assembly comprising 90 seats, the government can accommodate only nine ministers, including the Chief Minister.
The latest exercise increased the ministry's strength from six to nine through four inductions and one exit, effectively exhausting the available space.
The reshuffle also altered the regional composition of the ministry. Seven of the nine ministers now come from the Kashmir division, while Jammu is represented by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and Javed Ahmad Rana.
The removal of Satish Sharma, an Independent legislator from Chhamb in Jammu, reduced the region's representation in the Council of Ministers from three to two.
The induction of Sagar and Firdous gave Srinagar two additional representatives in the government, while Mir Saifullah and Altaf Kaloo strengthened representation from north and south Kashmir.
The new appointments also brought greater legislative experience into the ministry. Sagar, a seven-time legislator, and Saifullah, a four-time MLA, have previously held ministerial responsibilities, while Firdous and Kaloo entered the Council of Ministers for the first time.
Firdous, a three-time legislator from Habbakadal, became the second woman in the ministry alongside Sakina Itoo, giving the government two women ministers.
The expansion followed consultations between Omar Abdullah and the National Conference leadership, with seniority, regional representation and administrative experience understood to have figured in the selection process.
However, the Congress, which remains an alliance partner of the National Conference, stayed out of the government, reiterating its position that it would not accept ministerial office until Jammu and Kashmir's statehood was restored.
The decision followed a final outreach by Omar Abdullah to Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra on Monday evening. Karra declined the offer and conveyed that the Chief Minister could proceed with filling the available berth.
The Congress decision effectively removed the last uncertainty surrounding the composition of the ministry, allowing the National Conference to complete the expansion without leaving a position vacant for its alliance partner.
The immediate administrative focus is expected to shift to the distribution of portfolios among the newly inducted and retained ministers, an exercise that will determine the balance of responsibilities within the expanded government.(KNS)