Four new faces join Omar Abdullah Cabinet in Jammu and Kashmir
· India · The Hindu, Indian Express
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah-led government inducted four new ministers — Ali Muhammad Sagar, Shameema Firdous, Mir Saifullah, and Altaf Kaloo — on October 27, 2026, expanding the Cabinet to nine members. Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy at Lok Bhavan in Srinagar. No sitting minister was dropped, maintaining the Council's strength at five prior to this expansion. The National Conference ally Congress stayed away from the induction, citing the demand for restored statehood.
Why it matters
The expansion brings representation to north Kashmir via Mir Saifullah and south Kashmir via Altaf Kaloo, while Shameema Firdous becomes the second female minister in the Cabinet after Sakina Itoo. The inductments occur as the National Conference-Congress alliance governs without Congress participation until statehood is restored.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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