Onlykashmir.in News Desk
BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur on Wednesday criticised the latest reshuffle in the Omar Abdullah-led government, alleging that it reflected “kitchen cabinet” politics and favoured loyalists over leaders with grassroots support.
Addressing a news conference at the BJP’s J&K headquarters in Srinagar, Thakur alleged that positions were handed to “blue-eyed” leaders who follow the party high command, while those who had worked on the ground and secured a good vote share were sidelined. He accused the National Conference of betraying its voters and said the reshuffle had exposed how the party treats its own leaders.
“It is a pitiable situation that official information about the Cabinet and its leaders reaches people through the media. The chief minister does not even talk to his own team properly,” Thakur said.
He alleged that the NC promotes leaders without assessing their potential or grassroots support, and contrasted this with the BJP, which he said gives ordinary workers an opportunity to rise through the ranks. Thakur also charged the party with ignoring leaders who had served it for decades, saying they had been pushed aside in the later stages of their lives.
Accusing the NC of nurturing a “yes-men” culture, he said the party discourages independent views and rewards those who do not challenge the high command. He further alleged that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah prefers to associate with affluent circles rather than engage with the general public, the middle class and the poor.
Thakur claimed the reshuffle had triggered internal resentment within the National Conference and predicted that the resulting turmoil would weaken both the party and its government.
The remarks came a day after four legislators were sworn in as ministers at Lok Bhavan, an expansion that the government presented as a step to strengthen governance and speed up development. The Chief Minister had personally visited the chambers of the new ministers to congratulate them. The BJP, the principal opposition party in the Assembly, has used the occasion to question the internal functioning of the ruling party, a line of attack that opposition parties commonly adopt after cabinet changes.
The allegations are the BJP’s own and reflect the sharp political contest in the Union Territory. Cabinet expansions often lead to debate over regional balance, seniority and loyalty, and each party reads them through its own lens. How the National Conference responds, and whether any visible discontent emerges within its ranks, will determine whether the charge gains traction in the days ahead.
