Srinagar, Oct. 20 -- National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday cited lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha's illness as the reason for the further delay in the cabinet expansion in Jammu and Kashmir. He said once Sinha is back, the much-awaited cabinet expansion will take place. J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah had earlier said that after consultation with NC president Farooq Abdullah, cabinet expansion will take place after the GST council meeting that ended last week. However, the expansion was further delayed after the meeting, prompting opposition parties to attribute it to internal bickering within NC. On Monday, the NC chief clarified that the expansion couldn't take place last week due to Sinha's illness. "The lieutenant governor has been ill. He was not here. When he arrives, the cabinet will be expanded," Farooq told reporters. The NC government has completed two years in office with the same set of council of ministers that took the oath in October 2024. For the past 22 months, Omar, despite pressure from within the party, has kept delaying the expansion. The CM could induct three more ministers into the cabinet and could also reshuffle the portfolios of five ministers who are part of the council of ministers. "Don't expect a cabinet expansion before August 15. The expansion will take place soon, at the appropriate time. Even in Delhi there has been news about a reshuffle of the cabinet, but newspersons never ask questions when it's taking place. It's going to happen here, but not before August 15," Omar told reporters in Srinagar on the sidelines of a function about two weeks ago. Earlier, Omar had dropped repeated hints about a cabinet expansion. Last year, he said that expansion could follow the Rajya Sabha and bypolls. "Induction of a few more ministers is on the cards," he had said soon after the NC won three of the four Rajya Sabha seats. This proposed expansion is a high-stakes exercise for the government as it aims to streamline governance in the J&K.Opposition leaders, chiefly the PDP and the People's Conference, have accused the government of failing to fulfil promises, administrative mismanagement, and leaving ministers overburdened....