news details |
|
|
| Congress leaders sweat out on Srinagar-Delhi route as expansion nears | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, June 3: In this summer heat, senior Congress leader are sweating it out on a triangular route between Jammu-New Delhi-Srinagar to secure a cabinet berth as expansion of Omar Abdullah ministry is just a matter of days.
“Wait is just for normalization of situation in Kashmir and clearance of the Congress list”, a senior National Conference leader told the Early Times. Sources at Raj Bhawan also confirmed that the Governor House has been sounded about the imminent expansion but exact date is yet to be confirmed.
It is believed that the Congress and the National Conference - may choose their veteran leaders to be included in the government. Under the rules, the state government can have 25 ministers as per the strength of the 87-member assembly.
Congress sources said the party will get eight more ministerial berths - three of cabinet rank and five ministers of state (MOS) - in the expanded council. However, the National Conference is not comfortable this proposition and is instead looking for a 7:5 arrangement at this stage leaving three vacancies for future.
The sources said the expansion will happen any day after June 8 when the by-election process for Srinagar's Hazratbal constituency gets over.
Congress leaders are making desperate forays to New Delhi in last minute effort to secure a cabinet berth. Keeping the party divided between halves for most of the last year, now the ministry aspirants are shuttling between places of Ghulam Nabi Azad and Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz to ensure their way to the ministry. "We have almost decided on the names of Choudhary Mohammed Aslam and Raman Bhalla, " a Congress leader said.
Bhalla is the only candidate to get elected to the state assembly in November-December election from Hindu-dominated Jammu area defying the anti-incumbency and the Hindutva wave post Amarnath agitation. Aslam is a veteran Congress leader from the nomadic Gujjar community.
The third new Congress minister would be from Doda, most probably Mohammed Sharief Niaz, who won the Bhaderwah assembly by-poll from the seat vacated by his cousin and former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.The names of junior minister from the Congress are in the process of being short listed, the source said.
Sources in the National Conference said the party was still deciding on the probables to be inducted into the ministry. "So far, the name of Choudhary Mohammed Ramzan has been finalised," a party source said. Ramzan, a former forest minister, is a National Conference veteran from north Kashmir.
The key coalition partners have also agreed to accommodate smaller groups who are supporting the government.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
