After registering impressive win in just concluded Rajya Sabha polls, the National Conference (NC) is preparing for a major cabinet expansion in Jammu and Kashmir .The move marks an important phase of political recalibration aimed at ensuring broader regional representation, particularly for areas that have remained underrepresented so far.
Senior NC leaders said the party’s top leadership has begun internal consultations to finalize the new ministerial lineup. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is expected to hold detailed discussions with members of the NC Core Committee to identify leaders who can strengthen governance outreach and administrative performance. The focus, they added, will be on Central Kashmir — where political voices have long demanded greater representation in the power structure.
Party insiders emphasized that the expansion is intended not only to achieve regional balance but also to energize the party cadre at a crucial political juncture. “The government must reflect the aspirations of people across all regions,” a senior NC leader said, suggesting that structural gaps in representation are likely to be addressed before the next steps in governance are taken.However, the National Conference’s effort to widen the political spectrum of governance faces a key obstacle.
The Congress — a major political force in the Union Territory and NC’s traditional partner — has categorically refused to join the government unless full statehood is restored to Jammu and Kashmir. Congress leadership, sources said, has conveyed that entering the government would dilute its core political demand for the reversal of constitutional changes made in August 2019.
“The Congress has made it absolutely clear that without the restoration of statehood, there will be no participation in the cabinet,” a senior source asserted, ruling out any immediate possibility of cooperation on the ministerial front.Meanwhile, alongside the cabinet reshuffle, several organizational and administrative appointments are also being planned. Party sources revealed that vice chairperson positions in key public sector corporations are set to be filled in the coming weeks.
These appointments are being seen as part of a wider governance strengthening exercise aimed at improving service delivery and institutional efficiency.As expansion plans progress, political observers believe the coming weeks will be critical in shaping the region’s power structure — and in determining how decisively the NC can consolidate its administrative authority amid evolving political equations.
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