Srinagar, Sep 11: The National Conference-led government is unlikely to go for an expansion-cum-reshuffle in the council of ministers for the time being, sources said.
Sources told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would not immediately effect the expansion in his cabinet.
“There are no chances of cabinet expansion this month. The exercise will not be taken up given that the autumn session of the J&K Assembly is now just 10 days away,” they said.
The autumn session will begin on September 21 and conclude on September 30.
According to sources, there is a possibility that the expansion in the council of ministers could take place around the second anniversary of the NC-led government.
The government will complete two years in office on October 16.
It was widely expected that Omar Abdullah would effect a reshuffle-cum-expansion immediately after August 15.
He is also understood to have approached the Congress high command to ascertain whether they would avail a ministry. The Congress high command subsequently discussed the offer of the NC-led government with its J&K-based leaders.
Currently, the strength of the council of ministers in J&K is six. It can have three more ministers, as the J&K Reorganisation Act restricts the strength of the council of ministers to one-tenth of the total strength of MLAs—(KNO)
