With four new ministers inducted into the Omar Abdullah-led Jammu and Kashmir cabinet on Tuesday, the expansion brought a mix of celebration and disappointment, leaving several senior legislators sidelined even as party president Farooq Abdullah hailed it as a “good change.”
Welcoming the move at the party headquarters, Nawa-i-Subah, Farooq Abdullah said, “A very good cabinet change has taken place. They [ministers] will work and try to ease the difficulties and problems of the people.”
The newly sworn-in ministers are Ali Mohammad Sagar (Khanyar, Srinagar), Saifullah Mir (Trehgam, Kupwara), Altaf Wani (Pahalgam, Anantnag), and Shameema Firdous (Habbakadal, Srinagar).
However, former minister and Speaker Mubarak Gul, one of the party’s most senior legislators, expressed disappointment over his omission. “I have been dropped earlier, and today again my name isn’t on the list. This is the 30th oath ceremony I am attending,” he told reporters. Gul’s supporters later raised slogans outside the party office to protest the decision. To appease him, the National Conference (NC) appointed Gul as party general secretary—a key position previously held by Sagar.
Discontent was also evident in Anantnag East, where three-time legislator Abdul Majeed Larmi was seen in tears after being overlooked in favour of junior legislator Altaf Wani. “Being senior and honest, I was confident I would be selected. It is unfortunate that a much junior legislator was preferred,” Larmi said, adding that he ultimately accepts the outcome as “the will of God.”
{{/usCountry}}Discontent was also evident in Anantnag East, where three-time legislator Abdul Majeed Larmi was seen in tears after being overlooked in favour of junior legislator Altaf Wani. “Being senior and honest, I was confident I would be selected. It is unfortunate that a much junior legislator was preferred,” Larmi said, adding that he ultimately accepts the outcome as “the will of God.”
{{/usCountry}}Wani dismissed reports of any tension, saying everyone, including Larmi, was pleased with his induction.
This expansion—the first in two years—reflects chief minister Omar Abdullah’s effort to balance veteran experience with younger leadership. The inclusion of Sagar and Saifullah Mir maintains senior representation, while Shameema Firdous’s induction strengthens the party’s base in Srinagar and increases women’s representation in the cabinet.
However, the reshuffle reduces Jammu’s representation. Following the removal of Satish Sharma, no new minister from the Jammu region was appointed, with the NC opting to fill the vacancy with a Kashmiri legislator.
NC leaders explained that Sharma was dropped because he remained an independent candidate—having won his Jammu seat independently in the last election—and Farooq Abdullah mandated that cabinet berths be reserved strictly for party members.
Commenting on the developments, leader of opposition and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma described the cabinet expansion as an internal NC matter, adding, “You should wait and watch with peace what happens.”