Omar Abdullah to reshuffle cabinet before Delhi protest for statehood restoration

Srinagar, July 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) J&K Chief Minister and vice president of the ruling National Conference (NC), Omar Abdullah, said on Wednesday that he will expand and reshuffle his cabinet before the proposed protest for statehood restoration at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

Speaking to reporters here today, Omar said two major political developments are set to take place in Jammu and Kashmir in the coming days.

He said the NC is finalising its strategy for the proposed Jantar Mantar protest in New Delhi over the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood.

The Chief Minister said Cabinet expansion and reshuffle will take place before the Delhi protest. He said the National Conference is holding a crucial meeting today under the chairmanship of party president Farooq Abdullah at his residence in Srinagar.

The meeting will be attended by senior party leaders to finalise the party's strategy for the Jantar Mantar protest and decide which leaders will represent the party at the demonstration on the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

On the Cabinet expansion and reshuffle, Omar said the exercise would be completed before the Delhi protest.

He added that the decision was taken after the recent Dachigam meeting, where it was felt that an expansion and reshuffle of the Council of Ministers had become necessary to strengthen the functioning of the government.

The Cabinet expansion and reshuffle, expected in the coming days, will be the first major reshuffle of the Omar-led government since it assumed office.

There has been pressure on the Chief Minister that some of the ministers in his cabinet are not available to the MLAs. Some NC MLAs had lodged a serious protest before Omar during the Dachigam meeting on June 3 that a couple of ministers were not listening to the public issues raised by the MLAs and this situation was widening the gap between the ruling party and the people.

Source: IANS