J&K Cabinet expansion likely as Omar completes two years
Ahead of completing two years in office next week, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is likely to get a new team of ministers. According to the political grapevine, talk of Cabinet expansion has been in the pipeline for a long time. The party legislators, in the race for a ministerial berth, have been eagerly waiting for an oath ceremony.
On Wednesday, Omar said a decision on the expansion of his Council of Ministers would likely be taken after his return from Delhi and consultations with National Conference president Farooq Abdullah. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function in Srinagar, Omar said the Government would take a call on the expansion after the GST Council meeting and consultations with the party president.
During the likely expansion, Omar is keen on offering a cabinet berth to one of the Congress party nominees. Interestingly, the Congress party is still a divided house over the issue of joining the Omar-led council of ministers.
A section of the party leaders have been demanding at least two ministerial berths instead of the single seat earlier offered, along with the chairpersonship of a key Government-run corporation or board.
However, the Congress party remains undecided on formally joining the cabinet. On the other hand, Omar is facing a lot of pressure from within the party to drop the names of some of the sitting ministers and induct new faces in the council of ministers to strike a balance and address unrest in the party.
