India, Oct. 27 -- Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday expanded and reshuffled the Council of Ministers to its maximum permitted strength of nine, inducting four National Conference (NC) legislators from the Kashmir Valley.

However, the expansion immediately drew sharp reactions from within the National Conference and the BJP. Farooq Abdullah called the change a positive step to address people's difficulties. They (ministers) will work and try to ease the difficulties and problems of the people, he added.

The new team, headed by CM Omar Abdullah, clearly had the stamp of party President Farooq Abdullah, as none of Omar's close aides, considered frontrunners in the race, made it to the final list. The Congress, an al...