Five Ministers Submit Resignations to CM, Oath Ceremony at 10:30 AM
Srinagar | October, 26: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is set to expand his Council of Ministers on Tuesday, with a reshuffle of the existing cabinet also on the cards after all five ministers submitted their resignations to him on Monday, sources said.
The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled for 10:30 AM at Lok Bhavan, formerly Raj Bhavan, in Srinagar, where Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the new inductees, officials said.
Reports said the resignations of all five ministers have been placed before the Chief Minister, who is likely to decide which ministers will continue and who will make way for new faces. A close associate of the Chief Minister stated that the submission of resignations was a routine exercise ahead of a major cabinet expansion.
The Omar Abdullah-led 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, which limits the cabinet to nine ministers, officials said.
Meanwhile, 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, sources said.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Javed Dar dismissed speculation surrounding the gathering, clarifying that it was an informal interaction over tea. “We had already decided to sit together for tea. We discussed party matters, and there was no secret meeting,” Dar said. Asked about the proposed expansion and potential drops, he added, “It is the Chief Minister’s prerogative who is keeping whom and who is dropping whom. We have no knowledge about it.”
