Early Times Report
jammu, Mar 27: As the ruling coalition partner People's Democratic Party and Bhartiya Janta Party are learnt to have started informal negotiations on distribution of the various Welfare Boards Vice-Chairpersons, the aspirants have intensified lobbying for these positions.
According to the sources, both PDP and BJP are staking claim on more number of the Boards for consolidating their respective party in particular communities as well as accommodating their men as Vice-Chairpersons.
While the Board for Welfare and Development of Scheduled Castes is ought to be headed by a BJP man, bone of contention appears to be the Welfare Board for Gujjars and Bakerwals as both the coalition partners are eying on this because of a major vote bank of this community.
PDP is claiming that being major party, it should be heading three out of five Boards while the alliance partner BJP wants more Boards under its control, particularly Gujjar Bakerwal and OBC boards, sources hint and added that formal discussion on the same is likely to be held within next two days.
It may be recalled that the new Government had recently removed the Vice-Chairpersons of all the five Welfare Boards, which include the Board for Gujjars and Bakerwals, OBC Welfare Board, SC Board, Kissan Board and the Board for Pahari Speaking People.
Meanwhile, the aspirants for the post of Vice-Chairpersons of these boards have intensified lobbying for the positions, which would automatically accord them the status of Minister of State or even Cabinet minister.
Raja Ajaz Ali and Yash Paul Sharma of PDP are among the front runners for the post of Vice-Chairperson of the Welfare Board for Development of Pahari Speaking People while Choudhary Nizam Din of PDP and Choudhary Talib Hussain of BJP are in the race for VC of the Welfare Board for Gujjar Bakerwal.
For the Kissan Board, name of BJP MLA Sham Choudhary is under consideration but sources hint that he was pressing for a Cabinet status as the Vice-Chairperson. Bansi Lal Bharti, Brahm Jyot, Rajwal and Balbir Ram are among other persons in the race for different boards, sources said adding that the picture is likely to become more clear in next two days. |
