- NO MORE BIODATA, NAMES FINALISED: OMAR
J&K Cabinet reshuffle, expansion likely next week; CM asks aspirants to end lobbying. - OMAR ENDS CABINET SPECULATION
‘Names Finalised’, reshuffle and expansion likely next week
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday indicated that the much-awaited reshuffle and expansion of his Council of Ministers is likely to take place next week, asserting that the names of new ministers have already been finalised and there is no need for aspirants to continue lobbying or forwarding their biodata.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhavan, Omar Abdullah said he had requested the Lieutenant Governor to keep time available during the first two to three days of next week to facilitate the cabinet expansion and reshuffle.
The Chief Minister said the exercise had been finalised after detailed consultations with National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah and senior party leadership. Sending a clear message to party leaders and hopefuls seeking ministerial berths, Omar remarked that the process of selection had already been completed.
“Those who want to become ministers need not send me their biodata anymore. The names have already been finalised,” he said, effectively signalling an end to weeks of speculation and intense political lobbying within party circles.
The proposed reshuffle assumes significance as it comes nearly a year after Omar Abdullah took oath as the first Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir following the Assembly elections held after a gap of several years. His government, formed by the National Conference-led alliance, marked the restoration of an elected government in Jammu and Kashmir after a prolonged period of Central rule that followed the reorganisation of the erstwhile State into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in August 2019.
Since assuming office, Omar Abdullah has been functioning with a relatively compact Council of Ministers, giving rise to persistent demands within the ruling alliance and the National Conference for expansion of the Cabinet to provide greater regional and political representation. The impending exercise is expected to address those concerns while also enabling the government to redistribute portfolios and strengthen administrative functioning.
Political observers view the move as one of the most significant organisational exercises undertaken by the Omar Abdullah government since it assumed office. The expansion is likely to accommodate fresh faces while balancing regional, social and political considerations. Speculation has been rife for months over possible inductees from both Jammu and Kashmir regions, with aspirants and their supporters actively lobbying for inclusion.
The Chief Minister’s remarks, however, suggest that the leadership has already concluded its deliberations and reached a final consensus on the composition of the new Council of Ministers.
On reports of Umrah pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir being stranded in Saudi Arabia, Omar Abdullah said the matter was being actively pursued with the Ministry of External Affairs. He said the Jammu and Kashmir Government was closely monitoring the situation and was prepared to provide financial assistance from its own resources if required.
Responding to a query regarding regulatory authority over dentistry, the Chief Minister said the relevant business rules would have to be examined to determine whether the subject falls within the jurisdiction of the Union Government or the elected government in Jammu and Kashmir.
On issues relating to the China border, Omar Abdullah maintained that the matter falls within the domain of the Government of India and the administration of Ladakh, and therefore does not come under the jurisdiction of the Jammu and Kashmir Government.
With the Chief Minister now publicly indicating that the ministerial line-up has been finalised and seeking the Lieutenant Governor’s approval for the exercise, all eyes are on the proposed expansion expected next week. The reshuffle is likely to reshape the political and administrative structure of the government and could provide important clues about the National Conference leadership’s strategy for the remainder of its tenure.
