By News Agency of Kashmir
Jammu: Much awaited reshuffle in Jammu and Kashmir cabinet is likely to be affected within few days with chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad roping in one each member from Congress and Peoples Democratic Party in the council of ministry.
While Speaker Tara Chand is being replaced by former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Baig, the former would be inducted in the state cabinet.
If sources are to be believed, People’s Democratic Party MLA and former minister Hassan Mir is slated for the office of deputy chief minister.
The coalition is without deputy chief minister since the withdrawal of Muzaffar Baig by PDP high command from the office way back in October last year.
Baig was removed from the office by PDP high command on the charges of working against the party interests and going ‘too close’ to Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Party sources told News Agency of Kashmir that PDP has suggested the name of Hassan Mir to get back the DCM office due to the party. They however said that induction of Mir would also witness dropping of a PDP minister, most probably Abdul Aziz Zargar.
The introduction of Mir as DCM and Baig as Speaker is being viewed as a reconciliation attempt of PDP high command with its estranged MLAs.
Considered to be arch rivals within the party, both Baig and Mir had developed severe differences with party high command for different reasons.
While Hassan Mir a strong contender for deputy chief minister post had estranged himself after party high command preferred Baig for the office of DCM, the latter also felt battered after he was removed from the office on the charges of developing intimacy with chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
The induction of two new ministers, according to the sources, would also be followed by reshuffling of portfolios. Hassan Mir as deputy chief minister is likely to get finance and tourism while, Tara Chand would be given Revenue or any other portfolio lying with CM
The another part of the story is that Speaker Tara Chand is not willing to give up the office of Assembly Speaker and had already conveyed his reservations to party high command in Delhi.
If sources are to be believed, Tara Chand on his visit to Delhi soon before Darbar move told the Congress president Sonia Gandhi that he has developed a clean image as Speaker and did not want to end up in any controversy as a minister at the fag end of the coalition term.