The tussle between the younger guard and seasoned veterans, the competing aspirations of Kashmir and Jammu, and the sub-regional demands within the two regions are among the key challenges Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has to navigate as he expands his Cabinet to full strength on Tuesday.

Aware of the magnitude of the challenge and its potential repercussions for his party, the National Conference (NC), the CM has delayed expanding the Cabinet till now, holding out hope for restoration of statehood. Had it happened, Omar would have had greater flexibility and a wider pool of options to accommodate the competing interests in the party.

Omar’s challenge is not limited to maintaining a regional balance. He must also accommodate the aspirations of different sub-regions and ethnic communities while preserving cohesion in the NC.…