J&K CM Omar Abdullah to expand & reshuffle cabinet tomorrow

STC NEWS DESK
SRINAGAR, OCTOBER 26 (STC): Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is set to expand his Council of Ministers on Tuesday. Besides, existing cabinet reshuffle is expected as all five ministers have submitted their resignations to the Chief Minister today, said reports quoting highly placed sources.
Reports said that the oath-taking ceremony is scheduled for 10:30 am at Lok Bhavan, in Srinagar.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers.
As a matter of routine, all five ministers have submitted their resignation to the Chief Minister, said reports.
Notably, the Council of Ministers currently comprises six members, including the Chief Minister, leaving three ministerial berths vacant.
Under Section 53 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the Council of Ministers, including the Chief Minister, cannot exceed 10 per cent of the total membership of the Legislative Assembly. With 90 elected seats, Jammu and Kashmir can have a maximum of nine ministers, including the Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, reports further state that senior National Conference leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, Rajya Sabha MP Shami Oberoi, Satish Sharma and Javed Rana, met at Minister Javed Dar’s Church Lane residence in Srinagar on Monday.
Speaking to a section of media, Javed Dar stated that it was not a secret meeting but an informal interaction among colleagues over tea.
“We had already decided to sit together for tea. We discussed party matters, and there was no secret meeting,” Dar said as quoted by the media.
(Straight Talk Communications)