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J-K CM Mehbooba’s brother Tassaduq joins ministry
A member of legislative council (MLC), Tassaduq Hussain Mufti is tipped to be given the tourism portfolio, which is being held by Mehbooba.
Tassaduq Hussain Mufti, brother of Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, took oath as a cabinet minister of the state government at a ceremony held at the Governor’s House in Jammu on Thursday.
He was administered the oath by Governor NN Vohra along with Chadoora MLA, Javed Mustafa Mir in English.
Their portfolios are likely to be allocated in the evening.
A member of legislative council (MLC) of PDP, Tassaduq is tipped to be given the tourism portfolio, which is being held by his sister Mehbooba.
Mir was revenue minister in the previous PDP-BJP alliance government headed by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed in 2015 but was dropped when Mehbooba took over the reins in April 2016.
With their induction, the state government has a total of 25 ministers, including the chief minister. PDP has 14 ministers and BJP 11.
However, National Conference and Congress were conspicuous by their absence at the ceremony.
Mehbooba’s brother Tassaduq was nominated to the legislative council on December 22 by the Governor.
An outstanding cinematographer, noted for his work in films such as Omkara and Kaminey, Tassaduq on December 15 resigned from the post of coordinator in Jammu and Kashmir chief minister’s grievance cell, to which he was appointed in May this year.
The American Film Institute graduate had formally joined the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Srinagar on January 7 this year, his father’s first death anniversary.
Tassaduq’s baptism into politics was believed to have been promoted by family persuasion to help his sister with party affairs.
On October 22, PDP MLC Vikramaditya Singh, son of Congress leader Dr Karan Singh and grandson of last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh, had resigned from the post and the party after the PDP-BJP government refused to declare a state holiday on the birth anniversary of Hari Singh on September 23 and for disregarding the aspirations and sentiments of Jammu region.
PDP had one MLC seat vacant in its quota in the upper house.
On December 22, minister of state for Haj and Auquaf, Syed Farooq Andrabi, who is the uncle of the chief minister, had also resigned from the council of ministers, citing “personal reasons”.
