Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is expected to expand and reshuffle his Council of Ministers early next week, with senior National Conference leaders Abdul Rahim Rather, Ali Muhammad Sagar, and Aijaz Jan among those being considered for cabinet positions, party sources said on Saturday.
The exercise, likely to take place on Tuesday, could also see ministers Javid Rana and Satish Sharma dropped from the government, the sources said.
Omar said earlier on Saturday that the expansion and reshuffle would be carried out within the next two to three days.
He said the list of proposed changes had been finalised in consultation with NC president Farooq Abdullah.
Arjun Singh Raju has also emerged as a strong contender for a ministerial berth, potentially strengthening representation from the Jammu region, the sources said.
Rana, who holds the Jal Shakti, Forest and Tribal Affairs portfolios, and Sharma, who oversees Transport and other departments, could make way for new entrants as the government reorganises its ministerial team, they added.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, along with ministers Javid Dar and Sakina Itoo, are expected to retain their positions under the proposed arrangement, according to the sources.
Nazir Gurezi is also being considered for a role in the government, although he is more likely to become speaker of the legislative assembly, replacing Rather, the sources said.
Rather’s possible induction into the cabinet would require a change in the speaker’s position.
The reshuffle comes as the NC-led government seeks to accommodate competing political and regional considerations while balancing the aspirations of senior legislators.
Omar took office as chief minister in October 2024 after the NC emerged as the largest party in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.
The proposed changes would mark a significant reconfiguration of his ministerial team.
The final appointments and portfolio allocations are expected to become clear when the government formally announces the reshuffle.
