States » NorthPosted at: Oct 27 2026 2:26PM


Omar Abdullah inducts 4 new ministers, drops Satish Sharma

Srinagar, Oct 27 (UNI) In the first cabinet expansion by J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, four National Conference (NC) legislators - Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mir Saifullah, Shamima Firdous and Altaf Ahmad Wani, also known as Kaloo- were sworn in as ministers on Tuesday
All four are from the Kashmir Valley.
The Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly inducted Ministers of the Jammu & Kashmir Council of Ministers at a swearing-in ceremony held at Lok Bhavan on Tuesday. The Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, was also present on the occasion.
The ceremony was attended by Speaker, J&K Legislative Assembly Abdul Rahim Rather, JKNC President, Farooq Abdullah, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Ministers Sakeena Masood Itoo, Javed Ahmed Rana, and Javid Ahmad Dar, Member of Parliament Gurvinder Singh Oberoi, along with several dignitaries and senior officials.
The newly inducted ministers include veteran politician Ali Mohammad Sagar, MLA from Khanyar in Srinagar; Mir Saifullah, MLA from Trehgam; Altaf Ahmad Kaloo, MLA from Pahalgam; and Shamima Firdous, MLA from Habbakadal in Srinagar. Sagar and Saifullah had previously served as ministers in Omar Abdullah’s government from 2008 to 2014.
With these four inductions and the dropping of Satish Sharma, the Council of Ministers now has nine members, including the Chief Minister, which is the maximum permissible limit.
Omar Abdullah dropped independent legislator Satish Sharma from his council of ministers, leaving mainland Jammu without representation in the Cabinet. Sharma held the portfolios of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs; Transport; Science and Technology; Information Technology; Youth Services and Sports; and ARI and Trainings.
The expansion comes over two years after the formation of the Omar Abdullah government in Jammu and Kashmir.
Under the constitutional framework, the Council of Ministers in Jammu and Kashmir, which has a 90-member Legislative Assembly, can have a maximum of nine members, including the Chief Minister.
"The cabinet reshuffle is a very good move. These individuals will get to work and strive to alleviate the difficulties faced by the people," NC president Farooq Abdullah said.
The cabinet expansion, however, sparked anger among a section of the NC leaders. Senior leader Mubarak Gul publically expressed disappointment over being left out of the Cabinet expansion.
“I have attended 30 oath-taking ceremonies till now. Every time I was dropped, and today as well, I am being dropped,” Gul told reporters outside Lok Bhawan in Srinagar. Gul’s supporters also staged a protest at the party headquarters.
Immediately after his public outburst, NC President Farooq Abdullah reached out to Gul and nominated him party’s new General Secretary.
Another party legislator Abdul Majeed Larmi also expressed disappointment over being left out.
UNI MJR ARN
Tags: #Omar Abdullah inducts 4 new ministers# drops Satish Sharma
More News

Haryana ACB arrests Medical College assistant for allegedly taking Rs 22,000 bribe in Nuh

27 Oct 2026 | 5:06 PM

Nuh, Oct 27 (UNI) Haryana’s State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested an assistant posted in the Dean’s office of Shaheed Hasan Khan Government Medical College, Nalhar, in Nuh district, for allegedly accepting a Rs 22,000 bribe to complete attendance records for six days of additional duty.

see more..

Shimla-Bilaspur-Dharamshala Highway closed due to road subsidence; Traffic diverted for repairs

27 Oct 2026 | 5:04 PM

Hamirpur(HP), Oct 27 (UNI) The Shimla-Bilaspur-Dharamshala National Highway, which connects the capital of Himachal Pradesh to nine districts in the state, has been closed due to the subsidence of the road, necessitating repair work.

see more..

J&K: Two nabbed for allegedly sharing sensitive info in Jammu's R S Pura

27 Oct 2026 | 5:04 PM

Jammu, Oct 27 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested two persons for allegedly sharing sensitive security-related information in bordering Ranbir Singh Pura belt here.

see more..

Punjab stakes claim to Yamuna waters, seeks repeal of Dam Safety Act

27 Oct 2026 | 4:59 PM

Chandigarh, Oct 27 (UNI) Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal moved resolutions in the state assembly on Tuesday asserting Punjab's historical and legal claim over Yamuna river waters and seeking the repeal of the Dam Safety Act, 2021, accusing the Centre of encroaching upon the state's constitutional powers.
Goyal argued that Punjab was entitled to a share of Yamuna waters on the same principle under which Haryana claims a share of Punjab's river waters following the reorganisation of the erstwhile Punjab state in 1966.

see more..

UP govt's gift to small farmers and entrepreneurs, approval of State Livestock Mission

27 Oct 2026 | 4:55 PM

Lucknow, Oct 27 (UNI) The Yogi Adityanath government has taken a major step towards enhancing animal husbandry for farmers and making it a source of employment and entrepreneurship for rural youth in Uttar Pradesh.

see more..