Bilal Bashir Bhat
Onlykashmir.in News Desk
This Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir politics brought a mixed picture of new hopes, political changes and internal unrest with the ruling party, as Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to four new ministers of the government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at the Lok Bhawan in Srinagar. The cabinet expansion brought in several veteran leaders of the National Conference, but the decision also sparked resentment and disappointment in some quarters within the party.
Those sworn in include Ali Muhammad Sagar, Shamima Firdous, Mir Saifullah and Altaf Ahmed Wani alias Altaf Kalo. All four ministers hail from the Kashmir Valley and have extensive experience in politics, public service and lawmaking. The expansion is expected to strengthen the government’s administrative team, but the new ministers will have to assume their responsibilities after the distribution of portfolios.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, senior leaders of coalition parties and opposition members. Representatives from the BJP and the Peoples Democratic Party were also present. The cabinet expansion comes at a time when the Omar Abdullah government is trying to strengthen its administrative capabilities and push forward its development agenda. However, the success of this expansion will depend not only on the inclusion of new ministers but also on resolving public issues, taking all regions together and addressing the resentment that has arisen within the party.
Mubarak Gul’s supporters protest, Laramie cries in front of press representatives
The happy political picture of the cabinet expansion also revealed discontent within the National Conference. After Eidgah constituency MLA and senior leader Mubarak Gul was not given a place in the new cabinet, his supporters protested outside the party headquarters in Nawa-e-Subh and raised slogans in his favor.
Mubarak Gul, a six-time MLA, expressed his disappointment before taking oath, saying that despite his long political journey, he has once again been ignored.
Talking to reporters, he said, “I will speak at the appropriate time. I have attended 20 oath-taking ceremonies and every time I have been kept out of the cabinet. This time too, I have been excluded.”
The ruling coalition party Congress has a clear stance, staying away from the government until statehood is restored
The Congress, which is part of the ruling coalition, has maintained its decision not to join the cabinet. Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee President Tariq Hamid Karra said that discussions were held with the National Conference on the issue of cabinet expansion, but the Congress has not changed its position.
He made it clear that the Congress will not be part of the government until the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir is restored. This decision shows that despite cooperation among the parties in the ruling coalition, differences remain on some basic political issues.
Opposition party BJP objects, questions regional and social balance over cabinet expansion
The expansion of the cabinet was also criticized by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma alleged that the new cabinet did not take proper care of regional, religious and cultural balance.
Speaking to reporters after taking oath, he said that it is the responsibility of the government to take all regions, areas and communities along and ensure their proper representation in the administration. According to him, the fresh cabinet formation does not meet these expectations.
After the expansion, Deputy Chief Minister Surendra Chaudhary and Javed Rana are the two ministers in the cabinet from the Jammu region, while eight ministers are from the Kashmir Valley. This division has once again made the issue of representation between regions a topic of political debate.
