Omar Abdullah took the oath of office for four seasoned politicians—Ali Mohammad Sagar, 67, who has served in both Farooq and Omar Abdullah governments; Mir Saifullah, the 1996‑born Kupwara MLA; Shamima Firdous, a senior woman leader; and Altaf Ahmad Kaloo from Pahalgam—on Tuesday in Srinagar.
With the addition, the cabinet now totals nine members, a 10 per cent of the 90‑member assembly, the maximum allowed under Article 53 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
The new lineup leaves the Jammu plains with only two ministers—Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary and Javid Ahmad Rana—while the Kashmir valley gains two, and the south gets one, prompting critics to label the expansion a "regional imbalance".
Sources inside the National Conference say the portfolios of several ministries, including Finance, Tourism and Power, will be redistributed to accommodate the new members, and that Abdullah will relinquish some of his own duties.
An uninducted MLA reportedly broke down in tears during the ceremony, and opposition leaders have called for a review of the selection criteria, foreshadowing a possible cabinet reshuffle before the next assembly session.
The next week will see the council convene to formalise the new assignments, with the opposition poised to question the constitutionality of the appointments if the cabinet exceeds the 10 per cent ceiling.