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| CM in Delhi to finalise list of Cong Ministers | | | Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR, Jun 13: With strong possibility of expansion of the Council of Ministers any time next week, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has been summoned by the Congress High Command in New Delhi to finalise the list of the party legislators to be inducted as Ministers.
Highly placed sources in the state government told Early Times that over an invite from the Congress high command, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah left for New Delhi to finalise the list of the legislators to be picked up from Congress party for his Council of Ministers. According to these sources, Chief Minister would have threadbare discussion of the Cabinet expansion with the UPA Chairperson, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, J&K Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Prof Saifuddin Soz, Union Minister of Health, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and Congress party’s General Secretary incharge J&K.
Having already finalized the list of the NC nominees, Omar has earlier held a series of discussions with his father and NC President Dr Farooq Abdullah.
Sources said that immediately after receiving Dr Abdullah and participating in the grand reception at Srinagar Airport, Chief Minister left for New Delhi in a routine afternoon flight.
While he is scheduled to discuss the Cabinet expansion with Congress leaders on Sunday, Omar is expected to stay in New Delhi for his participation in the scheduled meeting of a reconstruction task force on J&K. The two-day meeting of the CII-J&K National Task Force on J&K Monday and Tuesday is likely to be attended by all the 49 CEOs and top corporate heads appointed as its members earlier this year by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
Sources said that 15 legislators of the coalition partners were likely to be sworn in at Raj Bhawan in Srinagar anytime between Tuesday and Saturday next. According to these sources, NC would get its quota of four Cabinet Ministers and equal number of Ministers of State while as Congress would get three Cabinet Ministers and four MoSs. On January 5th this year, five legislators of Congress and four of NC had been inducted as Cabinet Ministers in addition to the swearing in of Omar Abdullah as Chief Minister. Sources said that after the impending expansion, both parties would have eight each Cabinet Ministers and four each MoSs besides the Chief Minister.
These sources said that NC had already shortlisted the names of MLA Kargil Qamar Ali Akhoon, MLA Handwara Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, newly elected MLA Hazratbal Dr Sheikh Mustafa Kamal and MLA Noorabad, Sakeena Itoo, for the Cabinet. All the four MLAs have previously functioned as Ministers. According to these sources, NC had also shortlisted MLA Rafiabad, Javed Ahmed Dar and MLA Kishtwar, Sajjad Ahmed Kachloo for the junior rank in ministry. However, one MOS was likely to be picked up from the pair of Rachhpal Singh and Aijaz Ahmed Jan to represent Rajouri-Poonch belt of Jammu division. Likewise, one name could be picked up from the pair of MLA Amirakadal Nasir Sogami and MLA Budgam, Aga Ruhullah.
Sources said that Congress had almost finalized the name of former Minister Choudhary Mohammad Aslam while as one could be picked up between the newly elected MLA Bhaderwah, Mohammad Sharief Niaz, and MLC Abdul Gani Vakil, both enjoying the support of Mr Azad. Even as MLA Gandhi Nagar, Raman Bhalla, who met Prime Minister and other senior Congress leaders in New Delhi today, is reportedly a potential contender, he was suffering from strong opposition of Mr Azad. Given the fact that Bhalla retained his seat against heavy odds and has maintained strong rapport with the electorate, he is ranked high among the potential nominees for Cabinet.
Sources said that Congress was expected to pick up one among Abdul Majeed Wani and Ghulam Mohammad Saroori while as the names of Dr Manohar Lal Sharma, Shabir Ahmed Khan and MLA Gool-Arnas Aijaz Ahmed Khan were on the top of the list.
Sources said that a major administrative reshuffle in civil administration, Police and Forest was likely to happen anytime in the current month.
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