Examiner Bureau | Srinagar:
The ruling National Conference (NC) is learnt to have made a fresh offer to the Congress to join the Omar Abdullah-led Jammu and Kashmir government, ahead of a proposed expansion and reshuffle of the Council of Ministers.
According to sources, the NC has conveyed to the Congress that it can join the government if the party is willing to accept the offer. The development comes amid renewed discussions within the ruling alliance over the composition of the ministerial team.
Sources said the matter was discussed with All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir and Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain. He is understood to have told the NC leadership that he would respond after consulting the Congress high command.
Sources further said Hussain discussed the proposal with the Jammu and Kashmir Congress leadership during his recent visit to the Union Territory. However, the Congress is yet to take a final decision on whether to join the Omar Abdullah-led government.
The latest offer assumes significance as the relationship between the two parties has remained politically important since the formation of the NC-led government following the 2024 Assembly elections.
At the time the government was formed in October 2024, the National Conference had reportedly offered the Congress one ministerial berth. The Congress, however, had sought two positions.
The Congress subsequently maintained that it would not join the government until the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
The renewed proposal comes as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is considering a reshuffle and expansion of his Council of Ministers.
The proposed changes could lead to adjustments in the distribution of ministerial responsibilities and may also have political implications for the ruling alliance.
The Congress currently supports the government but has remained outside the Council of Ministers. Its decision on the latest offer could therefore have significance for the future functioning and political dynamics of the ruling coalition.
The issue of restoration of statehood has remained one of the Congress’s key political demands in Jammu and Kashmir, along with the broader question of restoring the region’s constitutional and political status.
Under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, the Council of Ministers in the Union Territory cannot exceed 10 per cent of the total strength of the Legislative Assembly.
With the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly having 90 elected seats, the Council of Ministers can have a maximum of nine members, including the Chief Minister.
This limited strength makes the allocation of ministerial positions politically significant, particularly within an alliance involving multiple parties and regional interests.
The Congress’s response to the latest NC proposal is expected to become clearer after consultations with the party’s central leadership. Meanwhile, the proposed reshuffle and expansion of Omar Abdullah’s ministerial team could provide an important indication of how the ruling alliance intends to shape its political and administrative priorities for the remainder of its tenure.
