Srinagar, Oct 24: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said his Council of Ministers would be expanded and reshuffled in the first two to three days of next week, signalling that the long-awaited exercise is now at its final stage.
With the list of ministers already finalised after consultations with National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah, the chief minister also had a message for party legislators hoping for a place in the government the decision has been made, and lobbying will not change it.
CM Omar made the remarks after meeting Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Lok Bhawan in Srinagar on Saturday morning. He said he had sought time from the Lieutenant Governor to carry out the expansion and make changes to the existing Council of Ministers.
“Yes, it (reshuffle) certainly was (discussed). I requested time from him for the expansion and asked him that in the first two to three days of next week, I will carry out the expansion and certain changes in my Council of Ministers,” CM Omar told reporters as per Kashmir Convener.
The Lieutenant Governor will decide the time for the exercise, he said.
The announcement comes amid anticipation within the ruling National Conference over the composition of the expanded ministry, with the reshuffle expected to provide an opportunity to accommodate additional legislators and make changes to the existing ministerial arrangements.
CM Omar, however, sought to put an end to speculation over who might make it to the Cabinet, saying the consultations with his father and party president, Farooq Abdullah, had been completed.
“After consultations with Dr Farooq Abdullah, the list has been finalised. There is no need to knock on Farooq Sahib’s door, my door, or anyone else’s door. The decision of who will become a minister is not pending; it has already been made. So, I request my colleagues to please be patient,” he said.
In an unusually direct appeal to party colleagues, the chief minister asked MLAs to stop sending messages and making calls to press their claims for ministerial positions.
“Please stop sending WhatsApp messages. I am receiving endless, lengthy messages… entire books are being written, sending full biodatas as if I don’t know who they are! I already know them and their work,” he said.
“Whatever has to happen will take place in the next two to three days,” he added.
The expansion will be closely watched within the National Conference, which returned to power after the 2024 Assembly elections, with Omar taking oath as chief minister on October 16, 2024. The party won 42 of the 90 elected Assembly seats, while its pre-poll ally, the Congress, won six. The alliance formed the government in the Union Territory, where the elected government functions within a constitutional framework that also provides the Lieutenant Governor with specific powers.
The formation and composition of the Council of Ministers have remained an important part of the political calculations following the restoration of an elected government after years of central rule. Any changes are likely to be assessed not only in terms of representation within the ruling party but also for their implications for the balance between political expectations and the administration’s priorities.
CM Omar said his meeting with LG Sinha was not confined to the Cabinet expansion. He also wanted to enquire about the Lieutenant Governor’s health, as LG Sinha had not been keeping well over the past few weeks, and discuss matters requiring consultations between the two offices.
“The LG has returned to Srinagar after quite a few days. In between, his health wasn’t very well, so I wanted to inquire about his well-being also,” he said.
“There are several issues on which it is necessary to discuss and take his opinion from time to time. It had been quite a while since we met. So, I requested time today; he granted it, and I have just returned after meeting him,” he added.
The chief minister also expressed concern over pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir who have been unable to return from Saudi Arabia after flight suspensions and cancellations disrupted their travel plans.
CM Omar said the problem extended beyond Jammu and Kashmir, with travellers from several states facing difficulties. While flights were still operating, he said, a sharp increase in airfares had made it difficult for those who had booked tickets on budget airlines to arrange alternative journeys.
“It is not that flights are not operating at all, but the problem now is that airfares have skyrocketed. People who booked on budget airlines and are stuck there are finding it difficult to purchase new tickets at these inflated rates,” he said.
At least 34 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir are reported to be stranded in Saudi Arabia after travelling there to perform Umrah.
CM Omar said the government would approach the Ministry of External Affairs to seek a solution and explore arrangements for their return. He added that the Jammu and Kashmir government would consider using its own budget to assist with tickets or repatriation if the Centre was unable to provide financial support.
The government said it was coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs and would continue efforts to facilitate the pilgrims’ safe and early return.
Asked about the delegation of powers under the National Dental Commission Act, 2023, to lieutenant governors and administrators of Union Territories to establish State Dental Councils and regulate local dental healthcare, Omar said the matter needed to be examined under the applicable rules of business.
“It would be better if you ask this question to (Health Minister) Sakina Itoo once she returns (from Singapore),” he said.
He also declined to comment on reports of changes in Chinese patrolling patterns along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, saying the question should be directed to the Ladakh Lieutenant Governor or the Central government.
“You should direct this question either to the LG of Ladakh or to the central government,” Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said.
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