Srinagar 27 Oct(KNB): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday administered the oath of office to four National Conference leaders as ministers in the Omar Abdullah-led government, bringing an end to weeks of speculation over the cabinet expansion.
Ali Mohammad Sagar, Shamima Firdous, Mir Saifullah and Altaf Kaloo were inducted into the Council of Ministers at a ceremony attended by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and other political leaders.
The expansion comes nearly a year after the National Conference-led alliance formed the government in October 2024. The ministry had been functioning with a limited number of members since then.
The induction of the four legislators follows consultations within the party over the expansion, with Omar Abdullah earlier indicating that the exercise would be taken up after discussions with the party leadership.
All four newly inducted ministers have served as elected representatives, while Ali Mohammad Sagar is among the senior leaders of the National Conference with considerable legislative experience.
The allocation of portfolios to the new ministers is expected to follow, setting out their responsibilities in the administration.
Meanwhile, the Congress has decided to stay out of the government, maintaining that it will not join the Council of Ministers while Jammu and Kashmir continues to remain a Union Territory.
The party, however, will continue its outside support to the Omar Abdullah-led government until statehood is restored.
The cabinet expansion comes as the government continues to seek restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, which was reorganised as a Union Territory in August 2019.
(KNB)