Ruling NC to reshuffle, expand J&K cabinet Oct 27; allies of the Congress to stay away

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. File | Photo credit: ANI

The ruling National Conference (NC) on Monday (October 26, 2026) braced itself for the upcoming reshuffle and expansion of the Council of Ministers as all five ministers submitted their resignations to the party high command in Srinagar.

Meanwhile, the Congress decided against joining the government, citing “Union Territory status” as the reason, even as the NC top leadership approached the Congress high command in Delhi.

J&K Lt. Gen. Manoj Sinha will administer the oath of office and secrecy to legislators in the Council of Ministers at the Lok Bhavan Auditorium in Srinagar on October 27.

“The cabinet expansion is scheduled for Tuesday. It is solely the chief minister’s prerogative. He will decide who to keep or who to drop. We have no information about it,” NC leader and minister Javed Dar said.

According to Section 53 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019, the Council of Ministers cannot exceed 10% of the 90-member assembly. As a Union Territory, J&K can have a maximum of nine ministers, including the Chief Minister.

Currently, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has five ministers in the cabinet and three berths have remained vacant for the past two years, with ally Congress reluctant to join the government. Mr Abdullah’s cabinet has so far reflected the regional balance, including the Hindu belt of Jammu division, which otherwise did not vote for the party. The cabinet had two Hindu faces, including Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and Satish Sharma.

Party sources said top NC leaders were in touch with the Congress high command in Delhi and were pushing for the ally to join the government in J&K. J&K Congress president Tariq Hamid Karra, however, reiterated the party’s stand that it “will not join the Council of Ministers until statehood is restored and will not compromise its principled stand on government membership”.

“The Congress has been campaigning for restoration of statehood for the past two years, even before the formation of an elected government in J&K, and has remained firm on its stand. Until the statehood of J&K is restored, the Congress will not be part of the cabinet,” Mr. Karra said.

Published – 27 Oct 2026 04:40 IST