In a significant political development, the newly formed cabinet of the Omar Abdullah-led government in Jammu and Kashmir comprises five ministers, notably featuring no representatives from the Congress party. The Congress, which contested the recent elections in alliance with the National Conference (NC), opted not to take any ministerial positions in the government.
The five cabinet ministers sworn in on Wednesday at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar include four from the National Conference and one independent MLA. The ministers are:
- Sakina Itoo: The only woman in the cabinet, Itoo is a prominent leader in the National Conference and has a rich political history. She secured her victory from the DH Pora assembly segment in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district with a total of 36,623 votes, winning by a margin of 17,449 votes against her nearest rival, Gulzar Ahmed Dar from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Itoo has previously held various ministerial portfolios, including social welfare, administrative reforms, education, and tourism. Notably, she became the youngest member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly at the age of 26 when she first won an election in 1996.
- Surinder Choudhary: A former member of the Legislative Council, Choudhary was elected from the Nowshera constituency in the Jammu region. He served as the deputy minister in the new government, defeating BJP president Ravinder Raina by over 7,000 votes. Choudhary previously belonged to the Peoples Democratic Party and later joined the BJP before returning to the National Conference in July 2023.
- Javed Ahmed Dar: A seasoned member of the National Conference, Dar was elected from the Rafiabad constituency in North Kashmir, securing 28,783 votes. He previously served as a minister under Omar Abdullah during the Congress-NC coalition government in the former state of Jammu and Kashmir.
- Javed Ahmed Rana: Elected from the Mendhar assembly segment, which is reserved for Scheduled Tribes, Rana has a strong political background, having served in both the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council before Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory. He garnered 32,176 votes in the recent elections, defeating BJP’s Murtaza Ahmed Khan by nearly 14,000 votes.
- Satish Sharma: An independent candidate elected from the Chammb constituency in Jammu, Sharma won against BJP leader Rajeev Sharma by a margin of 6,929 votes. Prior to the formation of the government, he had expressed support for the National Conference-Congress alliance. Sharma, son of the late former Lok Sabha MP Madan Lal Sharma, contested as an independent after the Congress denied him a ticket.
The new cabinet is a reflection of the political landscape in Jammu and Kashmir, with the National Conference holding a significant position in the government. Notably, the cabinet represents all three regions of Kashmir—South, Central, and North—with a balanced representation that aims to address the needs of diverse constituencies. Omar Abdullah, elected from Ganderbal, leads this government, which has sparked discussions about the Congress party’s absence in the cabinet and its implications for future governance in the region.