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| Sajad Lone eyes 2 cabinet berths | | |
Peerzada Ummer
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Feb 5: Separatist turned mainstream politician and the Chairman of the Peoples Conference, Sajad Gani Lone, is reportedly lobbying hard to get two vital portfolios in the next BJP-PDP coalition in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources told Early Times taht Lone is in touch with some BJP leaders and is trying to negotiate best possible deal for him and his party.
Pertinently, Sajad Lone led Peoples Conference won two assembly seats Handwara and Kupwara in north Kashmir in the 2014 assembly polls. After the results were declared, Lone declared that he would support any government in the state with BJP as a part of it. He has also extended the support of two legislators. including himself to BJP-PDP candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls.
Sources said that Lone has held detailed telephonic conversations with the BJP senior leadership and has demanded two ministerial berths in the new cabinet. "Lone is striving to get one cabinet rank for himself and Minister of State (MoS) for his another partyman who won from Kupwara,' sources added.
The BJP high command, sources said, has assured Lone of looking into his demands. "Threadbare discussions are being held within the party about Lone's role in the coalition government," they added.
Its in place to mention here Sajad Lone had hogged the headlines last year ahead of the assembly polls in J&K, when he met the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and called him (Modi) as his elder brother.
When Modi addressed an election rally in Srinagar on December 8 last year, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah alleged that Lone had managed to get his supporters from Kupwara to attend Modi's rally.
Though Lone in open ridiculed Omar's allegations, he never opposed any move of the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir and always extended his support to the saffron party whenever same was needed from him.
The speculations prior to assembly elections were galore that Lone would be the chief ministerial candidate of BJP in J&K and that the party has already held meetings with him to chalk out the future strategy. However, Lone, after the fragmented verdict of J&K polls, said he is ready to serve in whatever capacity he would be asked to. "If Almighty wishes I would serve in whatever capacity I would be asked to. May be as an assembly member, may be as a minister or may be one day as the head of the state. I can only say that I have the patience to wait and I am aware of my humble position in the politics of the state of Jammu and Kashmir," Lone had said. |
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