Jammu

J&K Cabinet expansion: Poonch Haveli repeatedly ignored for a cabinet berth by the politically heavyweight Abdullah family; Omar requires trustworthy soldiers as minister, not tainted ones

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Published on

July 1, 2025

SALIL RAINA

(POONCH TODAY NEWS)

POONCH: The Omar Abdullah-led coalition government has completed nearly eight months in office, and during these politically challenging months for the CM, the popular government has faced some tough moments due to the absence of business rules and a host of some other sensitive administrative and political issues.

During these nearly eight months, CM Omar Abdullah, who is known for his straightforward approach to many complex issues and his brilliant political sense, tried his best to deliver justice to the people, especially to the unemployed youth of J&K, as, on his directions, the process of filling nearly 7,000 posts by the recruiting agency has been started, and the same is likely to be completed before 31st of December, 2025. During an interview that went viral on social media a few weeks ago, he said that it’s unfair to judge his government’s performance for a few months, as he needs more time to deliver justice to the people. The Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 tourists were killed has also given a big dent to the efforts of the J&K government. Omar Abdullah, who is known for his candid approach in dealing with government business and his pro-people approach, needs trustworthy soldiers as his ministers, not tainted ones who are known for open loot in their departments. There are reports that the NC government is planning to induct more ministers during a cabinet expansion, which is being planned by the NC’s top brass. Those NC leaders who are staunch soldiers and have huge public acceptability from each and every section of the society and always work on merit rather than standing for a people of a particular ideology need to be adjusted in the cabinet berth, not those tainted NC soldiers who have opened up a transfer industry by directing their nears and dears to collect money from all the illegal sources. It is pertinent to mention here that during the last more than three decades, the Surankote and Mendhar assembly constituencies got opportunities for a cabinet berth, but the high-profile Poonch Haveli constituency, which was won by NC four times after the assembly elections of 1996, did not get a cabinet minister, and it is sheer injustice to the people of the Poonch Haveli constituency. Jan’s family entirely dominated the Poonch haveli politics mostly during the last three decades. However, in between, the haveli seat was won by Congress candidate Jahangir Mir in 2007 by-elections by taking 20,697 votes. The by-election was held after the death of former two-time NC MLA Late G.M. Jan. In the 2009 assembly elections, Ajaz Jan, as an NC candidate, took 28,297 votes with 39.62% of the vote share. However, in 2014, Shah Mohd Tantray won the Poonch Haveli seat on a PDP mandate by taking 19,488 votes, while Ajaz Jan got 15,976 votes. During the last assembly elections, which were held in 2024 after a gap of nearly ten years, NC candidate Ajaz Jan took a record number of 41,807 votes in an almost one-sided contest with a record 42.72% of the vote share. Despite a splendid result of Ajaz Jan in the party’s favor for the second time and overall fourth time by the Jan family, Poonch Haveli was denied a cabinet berth by the Abdullah family, and it raises a big question mark on what forced the high-profile political family of Abdullah to ignore the aspirations of the Poonch Haveli people. Ajaz Jan, who was never seen adopting a partial approach while dealing with the public, has proved himself time and again and is considered a loyal soldier of the party. For his political gains, he never blackmailed the party’s high command for any type of favor, but those people who stood with NC for decades from the Poonch Haveli constituency feel dissatisfied with the fact that Poonch Haveli was ignored continuously for a cabinet berth. In the history of Poonch politics, only three leaders enjoyed the MOS/Deputy Minister status, and they were the late M.D. Bandey, the late G.M. Mir Poonchi, and the late G.A. Ganai. Both G.M. Mir Poonchi and M.D. Bandey were elite educated leaders of their time. The late Mohd Din Bandey also remained vice-chairman of the Pahari advisory board after the 1996 assembly elections, but as far as cabinet berth was concerned, Poonch Haveli was ignored time and again, particularly during the last few decades, while the Surankote and Mendhar constituencies enjoyed cabinet berth various times. Late Choudhary Mohd Aslam, Late Mushtaq Bukhari, Late Lal Mohd Sabar, Nisar Ahmed, and Late Rafiq Khan enjoyed the cabinet berth, and this time, Javed Ahmed Rana of NC from Mendhar was included in Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s cabinet. But the question arises, what’s the fault of the people of the Poonch Haveli constituency who have been ignored time and again by the NC top brass, and they cannot escape from this question. Ajaz Jan, who always stood with the party during crises, has gained utmost respect from people of every section of society, but he was sidelined, and it shows that in Omar Abdullah’s rule, talented and loyal party representatives have no say, but those representatives who have mastered the arts of blackmailing, corruption, and threatening others can become ministers. Right now, a sitting NC soldier is playing all games to hit the bull’s-eye. The said soldier, holding an important position in the government, is known for adopting partiality culture by supporting one section of the society while playing calculated tricks against others by violating the constitutional oath and is bringing a bad name to Omar Abdullah’s cabinet. Reportedly, in some high-profile places, including some posh hotels, his near and dear visit there tactfully and secretly with an agenda to script big deals to run the transfer industry and other departmental business tactfully. The concerned leader has been trying his best to control a financial commissioner with an agenda to force the commissioner to do whatever he wants. He has secretly deputed his men and machinery to find the loopholes of the concerned financial commissioner so that he could use him forcefully in implementing his agenda. In the bureaucracy, the concerned NC soldier has already lost his integrity, and because of his miscalculated adventures, he is bringing a bad name to Omar Abdullah’s government, on which the people of J&K have huge expectations. As the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah is known for his sincerity and a broader political vision; he also needs trustworthy soldiers in his cabinet to come up to the expectations of people from every section of society. The majority of ministers have been doing a good job in fulfilling the agenda of the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, but a few are busy grinding their own axes by working out of the way by placing their nearest and dearest to collect money from every issue, whether it’s related to transfer or any departmental issue. The concerned NC soldier is also interfering in the working of other departments by misusing the name of his chief minister to adjust his blue-eyed person’s well. The people of the Poonch Haveli constituency in particular and the entire J&K in general have high expectations from the popular government being headed by the young Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who means business on merit, needs to bring in talented and loyal faces in the cabinet and shun those who are bringing a bad name to his government with their tactful and secret corruption-related misadventures. Will the Poonch Haveli constituency get its long-due cabinet berth? Only time will tell.