Omar says J&K cabinet expansion next week

Jammu and Kashmir's chief minister, Omar Abdullah, announced on Saturday that his cabinet will be expanded and restructured in the upcoming week. He made this announcement following a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Lok Bhawan. Abdullah stated that the reshuffle was already being discussed and that he had requested time from the lieutenant governor to carry out the expansion and make changes within the first two to three days of the following week.

The lieutenant governor is expected to determine a specific date for the cabinet expansion. Once this date is set, the expansion will take place. Abdullah urged his party colleagues and Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) not to approach him or National Conference president Farooq Abdullah for ministerial positions, emphasizing that the list had been finalized after thorough consultations.

He mentioned that the decision of who would become a minister had already been made by the consultations with Farooq Abdullah Sahib. Abdullah appealed to his colleagues to refrain from making phone calls or sending WhatsApp messages to lobby for ministerial positions, as he had already received numerous and lengthy messages, including full biodatas, despite knowing the individuals and their work.