Omar Abdullah cabinet reshuffle: Four NC leaders take oath at Lok Bhavan

The oath-taking ceremony for the cabinet reshuffle in Jammu and Kashmir, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, commenced at Lok Bhavan Auditorium in Srinagar on Tuesday, with senior National Conferenc (NC) leaders Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mir Saifullah, Shameema Firdous and Altaf Kalo among the new inductees.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly inducted ministers. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, accompanied by members of his team, reached Lok Bhavan earlier in the morning as guests began arriving at the venue for the ceremony.

The reshuffle follows the resignation of all five incumbent ministers, who stepped down ahead of the exercise, paving the way for Omar Abdullah and NC president Farooq Abdullah to restructure the Council of Ministers.

The cabinet revamp is expected to involve changes in ministerial responsibilities, with some existing ministers likely to be dropped or assigned new portfolios as part of the reorganisation.

Meanwhile, the Congress has opted out of joining the government in the latest expansion, citing Jammu and Kashmir’s Union Territory status. The party, however, will continue extending outside support to the government until statehood is restored. Further details regarding the allocation of portfolios and the composition of the reshuffled cabinet are awaited.