Nearly two years after taking office, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is facing increasing demands from within his National Conference (NC) to expand his cabinet. The opposition has alleged that he has avoided doing so because there are too many aspirants, which could lead to the government's collapse.
Internal Discontent
“If you (Omar) are not going ahead with the expansion, it only lends credence to BJP’s claims that NC is one cabinet expansion away from implosion. If only to call BJP’s bluff, you should go ahead with the cabinet expansion,” a senior NC leader said. An NC legislator from Srinagar echoed the sentiment, asking, “If the CM will not do it now, then when?” while requesting anonymity.
The disquiet comes weeks after many NC members stressed the expansion demand at a party meeting held in Srinagar’s Dachigam National Park on June 3. During that meeting, some members expressed a lack of confidence in the performance of certain ministers.
Current Cabinet Status
Omar Abdullah was sworn in on October 16, 2024, along with five ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary. At present, three cabinet berths remain vacant. According to norms, the strength of the council of ministers cannot exceed 10% of the total assembly strength. The Jammu and Kashmir assembly has 90 members, capping the council at nine ministers.
Opposition's Stance
Leader of Opposition and BJP’s Sunil Sharma reiterated claims that the NC would “implode” if Omar went ahead with cabinet expansion. “The chief minister has failed to expand his cabinet for nearly two years. If he is not able to do so, how can you expect justice from him?” Sharma said.
Workload Concerns
At the Dachigam meeting, many NC legislators complained that the current five ministers in Omar’s team are saddled with too many departments and are unable to fulfill their responsibilities effectively. The portfolio distribution is as follows:
- Deputy CM Surinder Kumar Choudhary: Public works, industries and commerce, mining, labour and skill development.
- Sakeena Itoo: Health and medical education, school education, higher education and social welfare.
- Javed Ahmed Rana: Water resources, forest, environment and tribal affairs.
- Javid Ahmad Dar: Agriculture, panchayati raj and cooperatives.
- Satish Sharma: Food, consumer affairs, transport, science, IT, youth affairs, sports and training.
Official Position
Officially, the NC insists that cabinet expansion and its timing are Omar’s discretion. The party’s chief spokesperson and MLA, Tanvir Sadiq, stressed the “prerogative of the CM” and said he would take a decision on the expansion when appropriate. He did not offer any reasons for the delay.
