5 Cabinet Ministers, Brief Profile

Srinagar: Omar’s cabinet has five cabinet ministers, including four from the National Conference (NC) and one independent MLA. The four NC leaders who took oath on Wednesday are Surinder Choudhary, Javed Rana, Javed Dar, and Sakina Itoo – the lone woman minister. Satish Sharma is the independent MLA in Omar’s cabinet.
Surinder Kumar Choudhary: The newly appointed Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, represents the Nowshera constituency. A seasoned politician, he won a hard-fought battle against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravinder Raina, securing victory by 7,819 votes—35,069 to Raina’s 27,250.
Javid Ahmad Dar: He is a prominent leader from the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) hailing from Rafiabad in north Kashmir, was also sworn in as a cabinet minister. Dar solidified his position in Omar Abdullah’s government by winning 28,783 votes in the recent assembly elections.
Sakina Itoo: She represents south Kashmir’s Damhal Hanjipora. As one of only three women elected to the 90-member J&K Assembly, Itoo’s victory was significant; she won her seat in the DH Pora Assembly segment of Kulgam district with 36,623 votes, defeating Gulzar Ahmed Dar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by an impressive 17,449 votes. Having previously held various ministerial roles, including in social welfare, administrative reforms, education, and tourism, Itoo made history as the youngest member of the J&K Legislative Assembly at age 26 when first elected in 1996. After her recent win, she expressed heartfelt gratitude to her constituents, stating, “This victory is yours! Grateful for your support and belief in our vision.”
Javed Ahmed Rana: Another JKNC leader Rana took the oath as a cabinet minister after winning the Mendhar constituency in Poonch. Representing the 90-Mendhar (ST) Scheduled Tribe constituency, Rana, 61, declared assets worth Rs 8 crore—Rs 1.8 crore in movable assets and Rs 6.2 crore in immovable assets. His total declared income stands at Rs 12.1 lakh, of which Rs 4.9 lakh is self-earned, and he has liabilities amounting to Rs 68.1 lakh.
Satish Sharma: An independent candidate from the 82-Chhamb constituency Sharma also joined the cabinet as a minister. A post-graduate and self-employed, the 42-year-old Sharma declared assets worth Rs 7.1 crore, including Rs 1.4 crore in movable assets and Rs 5.7 crore in immovable assets. His total declared income is Rs 29.3 lakh, with Rs 7 lakh as self-income, and he reported liabilities of Rs 11.2 lakh. Notably, his election affidavit indicates that he has no criminal cases registered against him.