Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Tuesday, 27 October defended the expansion of the Union Territory's Cabinet, asserting it would reinforce the government's administrative capacity and ensure the people of Jammu and Kashmir benefit from its initiatives. His remarks came after four new ministers — all from the ruling National Conference (NC) — were sworn into the Cabinet, bringing its total strength to the legally permitted maximum.

What the Cabinet Expansion Entails

The four newly inducted ministers are senior NC leader Ali Muhammad Sagar, who represents the Khanyar Assembly constituency in Srinagar and has won Assembly elections seven times; Shameema Firdous, the MLA from Habba Kadal in Srinagar, a two-time winner of the constituency; Mir Saifullah, representing Trehgam Assembly constituency in Kupwara district; and Altaf Ahmad Wani, popularly known as Altaf Kaloo, the MLA from Pahalgam in Anantnag district.

Ministers Surinder Choudhary, Sakina Itoo, Javed Rana, and Javaid Ahmad Dar have been retained in their positions. With these additions, the Cabinet — including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah — now stands at nine members, the maximum permitted under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.

Deputy CM Defends the Timing

'My leader has fulfilled the promise made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir that we would expand the Cabinet. We have carried out both the reshuffle and the expansion as promised,' Choudhary said.

Acknowledging that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had taken time to fill the three previously vacant ministerial positions, Choudhary framed the delay as a deliberate effort to induct senior leaders who could contribute meaningfully. 'The Chief Minister took some time to fill the Cabinet seats. Multiple senior leaders have joined the Cabinet. The people of Jammu and Kashmir should benefit from this government, and that is why this expansion took place,' he said.

Sharp Words for the BJP

Choudhary also turned his attention to the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), criticising it for focusing on the Cabinet expansion rather than what he called more substantive issues. Addressing Sunil Sharma, the Leader of the Opposition, Choudhary noted: 'He was the one who kept saying that we would carry out the expansion. He started talking about it before us, but we have delivered.'

He went further, questioning why BJP leaders had not spoken out against reported incidents of people from Jammu and Kashmir facing hostility elsewhere in the country. 'Why are the people of J&K beaten up in the rest of the country? Did any one of the BJP leaders speak about it? They should have spoken about it, condemned it,' he said.

Significance and What Comes Next

The expansion fills the last remaining vacancies in the J&K Cabinet and represents a consolidation of the NC-led government's political base, bringing in legislators with considerable electoral experience. Notably, Ali Muhammad Sagar's seven Assembly wins make him one of the most battle-tested leaders now in the Council of Ministers.

This comes amid ongoing questions about the pace of governance in the Union Territory since the NC government assumed office following the 2024 Assembly elections — the first in J&K after the reorganisation of the erstwhile state. With the Cabinet now at full strength, the Omar Abdullah government faces the test of translating political consolidation into tangible delivery for residents of the UT.