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| Cabinet expansion, reshuffle likely on Jan 10 | | | Early Times Report
jammu, Jan 1: Decks have finally been cleared for the long-awaited expansion cum reshuffle of the State Council of Ministers in Omar Abdullah led coalition Government. The expansion is likely to take place on January 10.
Reliable sources told Early Times on Monday that the long overdue expansion in Omar Abdullah led Council of Ministers has been officially slated for January 10 soon after Chief Minister returns from London where he has gone to celebrate Christmas with his mother and the rest of the family.
They said that on his return Chief Minister will call a meeting of his Cabinet followed by swearing ceremony of new Ministers. "It is now confirmed that Cabinet expansion will take place on January 10, 2013 as all the impediments have been removed for the expansion cum reshuffle of the State Cabinet", they added.
Sources confirmed that three new Ministers from both the coalition partners (1 from NC and 2 from Congress) will be administered oath of office and secrecy and many sitting Ministers will be divested of the portfolios they are presently holding. Re-allocation of portfolios, sources added, will also be effected on the same day.
It has been reliably learnt that Congress party has already given its nod to induction of MLA Inderwal, GM Saroori and MLA Doda, Abdul Majid Wani in the State Cabinet while as National Conference has cleared decks for MLA, Kupwara, Mir Saifullah
Sources said that senior NC leader and MLA Handwara, Choudary Mohammad Ramzan has already made it clear that he will not opt for Ministerial birth at this late stage when the countdown for the general Assembly election has started. They said that Ramzan has conveyed his decision to the party leadership implying thereby that he is no more in race which has made it even easier for NC leadership to put its weight behind Mir Saifullah.
Meanwhile, sources within Congress said that senior Congress leader and MLA Dooru, GA Mir was still in race and many stalwarts in AICC favor his induction in the State Cabinet. They also said that a strong lobby is building pressure on Congress High Command for sacking PHE Minister, Taj Mohiuddin to replace him by Mir.
Pertinently Congress has two vacant berths in the Cabinet of its allotted slot while the NC has one. Sources also said that Congress high command has conveyed its decision to the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Besides inducting Saroori, Mir Saifullah and Abdul Majid Wani into the Cabinet, sources said, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is also likely to reshuffle some important portfolios among the existing senior Cabinet Ministers. If sources are to be believed Mir Saifullah is likely to replace Ali Mohammad Sagar as Rural Development Minister while Sagar will continue to hold the charge of Law and Parliamentary Affairs and GM Saroori is likely to get Education Department presently lying with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Saroori was sacked in 2011 on charges of impersonation; CBI was investigating the allegation which has found nothing against him in the report. Sources said that Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed is likely to get R&B portfolio while any one of the Congress Ministers holding more than one portfolio will be divested of one portfolio to accommodate Majid Wani.
However, sources said that chances of dropping non-performers from the Cabinet are very bleak given their acquaintances with the leadership of their respective parties. Sources said the equation is so delicately poised that dropping a Minister from the State Cabinet could cause major problems for both the Congress and the NC. However, they will be divested of the important ministries and will be given some insignificant portfolios. |
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