Srinagar, Oct 26: The much awaited cabinet expansion of Omar Abdullah government would be held at Lok Bhavan in Srinagar on Tuesday at 10:30 am.
The expansion will be the first since the formation of Omar Abdullah's government in October 2024. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has extended invitations for the ceremony, scheduled to be held at the Lok Bhavan auditorium.
NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said the expansion or reshuffle would be decided by the Chief Minister.
"There will be an expansion, a reshuffle, whatever the Chief Minister wants," Sadiq told reporters, asserting that the decision rested with Omar Abdullah.
He said the Chief Minister had earlier indicated that he would consult party president Farooq Abdullah before finalising the names, adding that the process had been completed.
Sadiq said the list of those to be included remained with the party leadership.
"Who will be included? They will receive a phone call. Only the party leadership knows that," he said, adding that the names should become public by this evening.
Sources said all five ministers have submitted their resignations to Chief Minister, who is likely to decide which ministers will continue and who will make way for new faces.
They said submission of resignations by ministers was a routine exercise ahead of the cabinet expansion.
The Omar Abdullah-led government currently comprises six members, including the Chief Minister, leaving three ministerial berths vacant.
Under Section 53 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the Council of Ministers, including the Chief Minister, cannot exceed 10 per cent of the total membership of the Legislative Assembly.
With 90 elected seats, Jammu and Kashmir can have a maximum of nine ministers, including the Chief Minister.
While three vacant berths are available, the number of new inductions could change if the Chief Minister decides to drop any sitting minister.
According to sources, Omar may drop at least one or two sitting ministers.
The proposed expansion will be the first since the Omar -led government assumed office in October 2024.
Sources said Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather would not be joining the cabinet as was being speculated.
They said Rather will continue as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
Meanwhile, senior NC 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 today.
Dar said it was not a secret meeting but an informal interaction among colleagues 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 cabinet expansion and the possibility of ministers being dropped, Dar said the decision rested entirely with the Chief Minister.
"It is the Chief Minister's prerogative who is keeping whom and who is dropping whom. We have no knowledge about it," he said.