The Dogra heartland of Jammu has been left without representation after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday reshuffled his Cabinet, dropping Independent MLA Satish Sharma while inducting four NC MLAs from the Kashmir Valley.

The move has tilted the Cabinet’s regional balance towards Kashmir, with seven of the nine ministers, including the CM, representing the Valley, while the remaining two are from the Pir Panjal region of Jammu.

The induction of four leaders is seen as an attempt by Omar to consolidate the party’s support base in the Valley and strengthen its position against the BJP in Jammu and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kashmir.

The new ministers include NC veterans Ali Mohammad Sagar, Shameem Firdous and Mir Saifullah, along with Altaf Ahmad Wani, also known as Altaf Kaloo, who represents Pahalgam in south Kashmir.…