Four new faces join Omar Abdullah’s Cabinet in J&K

New Cabinet Ministers take oath at Lok Bhavan in Srinagar on October 27, 2026. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah-led government, on Tuesday (October 27, 2026), inducted four new faces into the Council of Ministers, including an old hand from Srinagar, Ali Muhammad Sagar, and a female face Shameema Firdous, taking the total strength of Cabinet to nine in the Union Territory.J&K Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Sagar, Ms. Firdous, Mir Saifullah, and Altaf Kaloo at Lok Bhavan in Srinagar. One Minister, Satish Sharma, an Independent candidate from the Jammu province, was dropped from the present Cabinet. Ruling National Conference (NC) ally Congress has decided to stay away “till Statehood is restored”.#WATCH | Srinagar | Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha administers the oath of office to newly inducted ministers as CM Omar Abdullah expands his Cabinet Mir Saifullah, MLA Trehgam Kupwara, Ali Mohammad Sagar ,MLA Khanyar Srinagar, Shameem Firdous, MLA Habba Kadal Srinagar and Altaf Ahmad Wan, MLA Pahalgam inducted as ministers— ANI (@ANI) October 27, 2026Mr. Sagar (68), who represents the Khanyar constituency, is an old hand in the NC and has served as a Minister in the past too. Mr. Sagar and his son Salman Sagar, managed to win two seats from Srinagar district in the 2024 elections.Ms. Firdous, who represents Srinagar’s Habba Kadal constituency, is the second female Minister in the Cabinet after Sakina Itoo from south Kashmir’s Kulgam. The NC won seven out of eight seats from Srinagar district in the 2024 Assembly elections.The induction of Mr. Kaloo gives additional representation to south Kashmir, while Mr. Saifullah adds to the representation of north Kashmir, a stronghold of the party.Under Section 53 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the Council of Ministers in the UT cannot exceed 10% of the 90-member Assembly. For the past two years, CM Abdullah had only five Ministers in the Cabinet. Published - October 27, 2026 12:03 pm IST