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Cabinet expansion: Farooq, Omar to meet disgruntled NC legislators
The induction of four new ministers into the Omar Abdullah-led Jammu and Kashmir cabinet on October 27 triggered widespread discontent and protests within the ruling NC.
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National Conference legislator Salman Sagar on Thursday ruled out any rebellion within the National Conference and said party president Farooq Abdullah and chief minister Omar Abdullah could hold a meeting with the MLAs on Friday.
Sagar met Nazir Ahmad Gurezi, a senior NC legislator, on Thursday. Gurezi is said to be one of the 18 disgruntled legislators who held separate meetings in Srinagar.
“They are not rebels, but have some differences that could be resolved by the party leadership, and they are meeting the chief minister and the party president soon,” Sagar said, adding that they are all respected leaders.
The induction of four new ministers into the Omar Abdullah-led Jammu and Kashmir cabinet on October 27 triggered widespread discontent and protests within the ruling NC. Several senior NC leaders, including MLAs Mubarak Gul, Dr Bashir Ahmad Veeri and Abdul Majeed Larmi, who were overlooked for ministerial berths, openly expressed their disappointment.
The meeting of the 18 MLAs last week raised alarm within the party. The disgruntled MLAs have been voicing concern over the CM’s adviser and “non-performing” ministers getting berths in the cabinet for a second time.
Leaders familiar with the developments said the disgruntled legislators had been told that they could hold a meeting with president Farooq Abdullah on Friday. “Both sides are positive that the meeting will settle the differences that have emerged between the disgruntled legislators and the party leadership,” a senior party leader said, requesting anonymity.
