SRINAGAR: J&K CM Omar Abdullah, who met lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha Saturday and announced that the much-anticipated cabinet expansion will take place next week, has urged party colleagues to stop sending him lengthy WhatsApp messages and book-length profiles seeking ministerial berths.He also advised them against knocking on his doors or that of his father and National Conference president, Dr Farooq Abdullah, to lobby for ministerial positions.After meeting Sinha, Omar told reporters he sought an appointment with him for next week so that he can make changes and expand his council of ministers.“Now that I have told you about the reshuffle, I want to make a request to my colleagues. There is no need to knock on Farooq Abdullah’s door, my door or anyone else’s door,” Omar said. “The decision about who will become a minister has been taken. I request my colleagues to be patient. First, it is in God’s hands and then we took the decision. Whoever is destined to become a minister will become one,” he said.“I am receiving so many WhatsApp messages, with people writing lengthy resumes and sending me entire book-length profiles. It is as if I do not know these people. They are sending me their complete biodata, as though I am not already familiar with them,” he said. “So please, do not send WhatsApp messages.”Omar was sworn in on Oct 16, 2024, along with five ministers, including deputy CM Surinder Choudhary. At present, three cabinet berths remain vacant.Under the norms, the strength of the council of ministers cannot exceed nine or 10% of the total strength of the 90-member assembly.
Meanwhile, the opposition described Omar’s public “advice” to ministerial hopefuls as demeaning to the political class and called it as “the cult of self.”Leader of opposition, BJP’s Sunil Sharma, who has been claiming that NC will “implode” if Omar went ahead with cabinet expansion, said, “The CM is behaving like a king. He doesn’t like people visiting his home. He is out to demean his own MLAs and has repeatedly humiliated them inside and outside the Assembly.”Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone called Omar’s statement “the cult of self.” “I watched CM sahib talking to the media after meeting LG sahib. What a contemptuous and disdainful way of asking his party MLAs to not pester him for a ministerial berth. I honestly can’t believe these MLAs are comfortable with such belittling and humiliating remarks,” Lone said.“If you are unable to accommodate them in the cabinet, you can spare them the public humiliation,” he said.