Examiner Bureau | Srinagar:
The suspense over the National Conference’s (NC) cabinet reshuffle ended on Tuesday as four party legislators—Ali Mohammad Sagar, Shamima Firdous, Mir Saifullah and Altaf Ahmad Kaloo—were inducted into the Omar Abdullah-led government.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly inducted ministers at a ceremony held at Lok Bhawan in Srinagar, attended by senior political leaders and officials.
The induction marks a significant change in the Council of Ministers, with the party opting for four legislators to fill the vacant positions in the government.
The reshuffle, however, left senior NC leader Mubarak Gul disappointed after he was left out of the new ministerial lineup.
“I have attended 30 oath-taking ceremonies till now. Every time I was dropped, and today as well, I am being dropped,” Gul told reporters outside Lok Bhawan.
Shamima Firdous, whose induction came as a surprise after she was not prominently mentioned among the frontrunners ahead of the reshuffle, expressed happiness over the opportunity given to her by the party. She said she would continue to work harder.
Mir Saifullah, ahead of his induction, thanked the party leadership and Almighty Allah for the opportunity.
“I am really thankful to the Dr Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference leadership and Almighty Allah for this opportunity,” he said.
Ali Mohammad Sagar and Altaf Ahmad Kaloo had figured among the leading contenders for ministerial berths ahead of the ceremony. The final selection of the four legislators brought an end to days of speculation over the reshuffle and the future composition of Omar Abdullah’s Cabinet.
