Accommodating unrepresented districts and senior legislators can be the main priority of the coalition government in the possible cabinet expansion. Some senior leaders in the coalition government said the representation to unrepresented districts like Kupwara can be top priority of both the parties. Similarly Congress party will stress for accommodating its leaders from Jammu province.In last cabinet expansion, the districts including Kupwara, Bandipora, Pulwama and Shopian, Udampur, Ramban, Kisthwar and Poonch did not get any representation in the cabinet after coalition partners failed to create consensus among legislators. The biggest tussle was witnessed in district Kupwara, where National Conference failed to choose among Chudhary Mohammad Ramzan and Mir Saifullah. The district is still unrepresented.
The National Conference senior leader and brother of Dr Farooq Abdullah, Dr Mustafa Kamal may also get a cabinet berth.With only four seats vacant in the council of ministry of Omar Abdullah cabinet, it is not virtually possible for coalition leaders to give representation to unrepresented districts. As per the present strength, only four ministers can be inducted in the cabinet.
According the act passed by state legislature, chief minister is bound not to expand the cabinet 20 percent of strength of both the houses. The state legislative assembly has a total strength of 87 elected members while as legislative council has 37 members. The chief minister can only induct 25 ministers in his cabinet. The coalition sources maintained that it would be again difficult for them to accommodate all districts in cabinet. In last cabinet expansion, MLA Uri, Taj Mehi-u-Din, MLA Gulmarg,Ghulam Hassan Mir and MLA Rafiabad, Javid Ahmad Dar were given representation in Baramulla district. In Srinagar district Ali Mohammad Sagar and Nasir Aslam Wani MLA Amira Kadal were inducted in cabinet from Srinagar.
In district Budgam, MLA Charar-e-Sharief Abdul Rahim Rather and Aga Syed Rohulla Mehdi succeeded to get place in cabinet.Similarly in Jammu division, deputy chief minister Tara Chanad, Raman Bhalla and R.S.Chib have made entry in the cabinet from Jammu district, while as other districts are struggling even to get entry.With the senior leaders having decided to expand the cabinet, the legislators have also intensified their activities in making their place in cabinet, the fulfilling of the cabinet berths were deliberately delayed by coalition partners to avoid lobbyism in their respective parties. However, the coalition partners have expressed the need to fulfill these cabinet berths after G.M.Saroori resigned from roads and building ministry.
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