SRINAGAR: The oath-taking ceremony for the reshuffle of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah-led Council of Ministers began at the Lok Bhavan Auditorium in Srinagar on Tuesday morning.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, along with his team, reached Lok Bhavan earlier in the day as guests began arriving at the venue for the ceremony. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is administering the oath of office and secrecy to the newly inducted ministers.
Ahead of the reshuffle, five incumbent ministers had reportedly submitted their resignations, giving Omar Abdullah and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah a free hand to restructure the cabinet.
Senior NC leaders, including Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mir Saifullah, Shameema Firdous and Altaf Ahmad Wani, popularly known as Altaf Kaloo, are among those expected to be inducted into the Council of Ministers. Some existing ministers are also likely to be dropped or assigned new portfolios as part of the exercise.
Meanwhile, the Congress has decided against joining the cabinet expansion, citing Jammu and Kashmir’s continued Union Territory status. The party is expected to continue extending outside support to the NC-led government until statehood is restored.
The reshuffle marks a significant exercise for the NC-led government, with the new ministerial appointments and portfolio allocations expected to shape its administrative priorities.
