The recent cabinet reshuffle hasn’t gone down well with National Conference (NC) legislators, as more than a dozen lawmakers of the ruling party held a meeting in Srinagar on Friday.
Those in the know said the meeting was held at the official residence of a senior NC legislator to discuss the recent reshuffle, especially the manner in which many senior leaders were ignored. Although the legislators remain tight-lipped, this is the first time that more than a dozen NC legislators have held a meeting without an official party agenda.
They said the legislators have decided to meet NC president Farooq Abdullah and discuss issues with him, especially the way some senior leaders who are not elected are given more preference, particularly those who are close to the CM.
Soon after the first cabinet expansion, several legislators openly criticised the party for ignoring deserving legislators. Senior legislators Mubarak Gul and Abdul Majid Larmi openly criticised the party for ignoring them despite being senior legislators.
Even legislators from the Pir Panjal region expressed strong reservations about the expansion and said it could create more problems. Bijbehara legislator Bashir Ahmad Veeri said the ministers who didn’t perform well were retained in the cabinet.
{{/usCountry}}Even legislators from the Pir Panjal region expressed strong reservations about the expansion and said it could create more problems. Bijbehara legislator Bashir Ahmad Veeri said the ministers who didn’t perform well were retained in the cabinet.
{{/usCountry}}The newly sworn-in ministers are Ali Mohammad Sagar (Khanyar, Srinagar), Saifullah Mir (Trehgam, Kupwara), Altaf Wani (Pahalgam, Anantnag), and Shameema Firdous (Habbakadal, Srinagar). The first cabinet expansion in two years was an attempt by CM Omar Abdullah to balance veteran experience with younger leadership. However, the NC has removed Mubarak Gul from the post of general secretary, just days after designating him to the role. Sources state that Gul refused to accept the assignment after being denied a cabinet berth.
Though the Omar government enjoys a comfortable majority in the assembly, the separate meeting can give the NC leadership sleepless nights, as in the past, especially in 1984, when NC saw a rebellion and Ghulam Mohammad Shah, brother-in-law of Farooq Abdullah, toppled the government and became CM with the help of Congress.
NC spokesman Imran Nabi Dar didn’t respond about the meeting of NC legislators. Senior NC ministers and leaders have, for the past three days, played down the differences within the party, saying NC is a family and leaders have every right to express their views.