Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday expanded his Cabinet by inducting four senior National Conference leaders, signaling a preference for experienced politicians in the Union Territory’s new government. Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mir Saifullah, Shamima Firdous, and Altaf Ahmad Kaloo were sworn in as ministers, taking the total strength of the Council of Ministers, including the Chief Minister, to nine. The expansion comes after weeks of anticipation and is expected to strengthen the administration by distributing key portfolios that were previously held by the Chief Minister. However, the announcement also triggered disappointment among several party legislators who were overlooked, with one MLA reportedly becoming emotional after failing to secure a ministerial berth.

The newly appointed ministers bring decades of political and administrative experience to the government. Ali Mohammad Sagar, a veteran leader from Srinagar, has served as a minister in previous National Conference governments and has remained a prominent political figure since the 1980s. Mir Saifullah, representing Kupwara, is also a seasoned legislator and former minister, while Altaf Ahmad Kaloo, a three-time MLA from Pahalgam, adds further experience to the Cabinet. The induction of Shamima Firdous increases the number of women ministers in the government to two, reflecting greater female representation. The appointments also ensure representation from central, northern, and southern Kashmir, though several leaders from other regions remain dissatisfied with the final composition.

The Cabinet expansion has also highlighted the political challenges facing the National Conference in balancing regional representation. The Jammu region will continue to have only two ministers, as the party failed to win seats in the plains of Jammu during the Assembly elections. Under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the size of the Council of Ministers cannot exceed 10 percent of the 90-member Legislative Assembly, limiting the number of ministerial positions available. With the Cabinet now nearing its constitutional limit, attention will shift to the allocation of important departments such as Finance, Power, Tourism, Urban Development, Law, Revenue, and Parliamentary Affairs, many of which have so far remained under the direct charge of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.