
After prolonged dilly dallying, the Jammu and Kashmir government plans to expand the Cabinet this week with sources putting the date at February 17-18.
With 12 Cabinet ministers, whose strength cannot exceed 25, Azad has a tough balancing act ahead with demands of independent MLA groups.
For instance, the Congress has seven independents as associate members not bound by the anti-defection law. Led by Doda MLA Abdul Majid Wani, they met on February 13 ostensibly to press their demand for adequate berths.
Then, there8217;s the three-member People8217;s Democratic Front, led by Revenue Minister Hakeem Muhammad Yaseen. Earlier a group of 13, it had seven ministers in the PDP-led government.