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| Azad wants Saroori, Soz 'honest' performers, Omar status-quo | | Cabinet reshuffle speculations rife, NC-Cong eye 2014 elections | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
JAMMU, Dec 25: Speculations are rife about imminent Cabinet reshuffle along with induction of two more Ministers from Congress and one from National Conference (NC).
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's return from vacations would be followed by expansion in the State Cabinet, induction of three fresh faces and reshuffle of portfolios of non-performing as well controversial Ministers. The reshuffle has become a necessity since the coalition is entering into second last year of its governance and according to the insiders; it has nothing major on its report card to sell to the people of the State in the year 2014.
Controversies, allegations of corruption coupled with below par performance of some of the Ministers of Congress and National Conference (NC) has resulted in complaints flowing thick and fast to UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, JKPCC President Prof. Saif-ud-din Soz, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Patron of NC Dr. Farooq Abdullah. "We have decided to reward the honest ones and clip wings of corrupt, inefficient Ministers," said a senior leader of Congress in New Delhi, whose input with regard to J&K is valued heavily by all in AICC.
He added that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is convinced about the need for reshuffling the portfolios and filling up the three vacant slots, of which two belong to Congress and one to NC. "Once he returns, we would hold a meeting, following which the much awaited Cabinet reshuffle would take place," said the senior Congressman. Similar views were echoed by another veteran Congressman contacted by Early Times, holding an important position in the AICC.
Sources said that Congress Chairperson Sonia Gandhi would be meeting JKPCC President Prof. Saif-ud-din Soz, AICC-incharge for the State Mohan Prakash and ex-Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, presently Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare to discuss modalities of the Cabinet expansion. All issues including charges of corruption, public image, regional as well as sub-regional requirements would be taken into account while deciding about Cabinet expansion as well as reshuffle, said the sources.
They added that nothing much is likely to change in Congress from Kashmir region. Sources said that among the fresh faces from the Congress side, the only serious contender from Kashmir region is MLA Dooru Ghulam Ahmed Mir, who was recently cleared by the Chandigarh court of the sex allegations, which had resulted in him not being considered by Congress high command for the top job. He was Minister for Roads and Buildings in the erstwhile PDP-Congress coalition Government and had to quit after CBI nailed him in infamous Srinagar sex scandal.
From Jammu region; MLA Bhaderwah Mohammed Sharief Niaz, MLA Inderwal Ghulam Mohammed Saroori, MLA Doda Majid Wani, along with MLC's Jugal Kishore, B.R. Kundal and Ravinder Sharma are the names doing rounds in almost all the political circles for fresh induction in the State Cabinet. Of these, Ghulam Mohammed Saroori had to quit after his name surfaced in an alleged impersonation case involving his daughter. He has been acquitted by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently.
National Conference (NC), which has to fill just one vacancy, has several senior leaders awaiting a call for swearing-in ceremony since the coalition assumed office in January 2009. They include MLA Hazratbal Dr. Mustafa Kamaal, MLA Handwara Choudhary Mohammed Ramzan, MLA Kupwara Saifullah Mir, MLA Kishtwar Sajjad Kitchloo, MLCs Ajay Sadhotra, Vijay Bakaya, Devinder Rana and Sheikh Ghulam Rasool. Of these, Devinder Rana is Political Advisor to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Sources said that while Azad has been pushing case of Ghulam Mohammed Saroori for re-induction into State Cabinet with same portfolio of Roads and Buildings besides seeking elevation of State Cooperative Minister Dr. Manohar Lal as Cabinet Minister, Soz has been pleading with New Delhi to go strictly by merit while elevating Ministers in existing Cabinet or inducting fresh faces to fill up vacancies. There is also talk of clipping the wings of corrupt and inefficient Ministers from Congress.
On the other hand, NC faces difficulty in choosing between four strong contenders- Dr. Mustafa Kamaal, Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan, Sajjad Kitchloo and Saifullah Mir. Party also has to accommodate a Kashmir Pandit to ensure that this community gets its due representation in the State Cabinet. Vijay Bakaya is the lone man knocking at the doors of NC top brass for induction. The decision to induct a member, sources said, will be taken by NC President Farooq Abdullah in consultation with Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah and Party General Secretary Sheikh Nazir Ahmad.
Sources said that Omar Abdullah would like to maintain status-quo from his side and in all probability, is likely to advocate merely filling up of vacancies followed by minor reshuffle of portfolios. They added that NC cadre would feel dejected, if any one among the existing lot of Cabinet Ministers are shown the door. "They are the ones who are working overnight. On what charges can you remove them from the Cabinet? It is simply out of question," said a senior NC leader.
He stressed that best way out for Omar Abdullah is 'status-quo'. Since lone induction of any one of these leaders is likely to create serious problems for NC. "There are two vacancies from the Congress side in the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet. We have to fill that," an AICC source said. Congress is part of a coalition Government with National Conference in the State. While Omar is Chief Minister from NC, both the parties have 11 Ministers each in the Cabinet. NC has 28 MLAs in the 87-member Assembly while Congress has 17. |
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