Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday opted for an off-site, a first-of-its-kind meeting for party legislators, a move reminiscent of the cloak-and-dagger politics seen when parties seek to prevent defections and stave off a government collapse.

Omar himself lent an air of drama to the outing by keeping the venue under wraps, choosing a no-network zone and ferrying legislators in buses to an “undisclosed location” before choreographing the release of their smiling photographs to put up a united show.

Opposition leader Sunil Kumar Sharma of the BJP called the meeting a “floor test” and said the chief minister’s paranoia of losing power had reduced governance to “loyalty parades”.

The Opposition claims Omar’s government is on the brink even though there appeared to be no immediate threat. The meeting drew its significance from the fact that it was held after a long gap amid mounting criticism over failure to deliver on key promises such as the restoration of statehood.

Sources in the government said the lieutenant governor's administration was keeping a close watch on the meeting, which was held at the Dachigam National Park on the outskirts of Srinagar.

“We are off for an off-site to spend the day taking stock of the last 19 months — the good, the not so good and everything in between,” Omar said on X, posting smiling pictures with his legislators in a bus on the way to the meeting. Omar was seated in the backseat of the bus.

He rebuffed a report that claimed the meeting was being shifted from his Gupkar residence to the Cheshma Shahi tourist resort in Srinagar at the last moment.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you but it has NOT ‘been shifted at the last moment’. It was always my intention to conduct this meeting off-site and all arrangements have been made, days in advance, at the location originally chosen by me,” he said.

Later, he shared a selfie clicked by National Conference legislator Bashir Ahmad Veeri, mentioning in the caption that they had crossed Shalimar Garden for an “unknown destination”.

The party is facing opposition within, with Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi publicly accusing Omar of betraying the mandate and asking him to quit. Sources said Ruhullah was not invited to the meeting.