Jammu, Aug. 27 -- Amid reports of a cabinet reshuffle, the Congress has flatly refused to join Omar Abdullah government in Jammu and Kashmir - despite being the ruling National Conference's coalition partner.
The party has made its position unambiguous: no cabinet berth until statehood is restored and the constitutional rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir are returned in full.
The decision hands Omar Abdullah a smoother path for his upcoming cabinet expansion on one hand, but on the other, it exposes the fault lines within the coalition and sharpens the pressure over the long-pending statehood issue.
The timing is pointed. It comes just as the Omar government prepares to expand its council of ministers, with three new faces expecte...