By News Agency of Kashmir
Srinagar: The unleashing of another master-stroke against bete-noire but the coalition partner Peoples Democratic Party, by the Congress chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad with handing over the charge of Housing and Urban Development to Minister of State for Forests Aijaz Ahmed Khan, has sent the top leadership of PDP running for cover, with party president and fire brand leader of the party.
Mehbooba Mufti refusing to meet anybody from the party on her returns from New Delhi well informed sources told News Agency of Kashmir.
If sources are to be believed within the party, PDP leadership wanted to clip the wings of Qazi Mohammad Afzal, a heavyweight leader after cutting to size two others including Ghulam Hassan Mir and Muzafar Hussain Beig and this was the only reason that they did not take up the issue of unceremonious divesting of Forest portfolio from Qazi Mohammad Afzal by the chief minister seriously as was done in the case of recalling of Muzaffar Beig and handing over the portfolios to Man Friday of Muftis Tariq Hamid Karra.
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, known for his vast experience in coalition politics at national level is reported to have chosen the day for handing over the portfolio of H&UD to Aijaz Khan coinciding with return of father-daughter duo of Muftis from New York.
The sources said that three ministers of PDP had sought time from party president Mehbooba Mufti for a meeting on the recent development, but the audience was refused at the eleventh hour.
Sources in the Congress told NAK that though chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has not been enjoying good relations with 10 Janpath, yet the graph of Muftis has also gone down with Congress High Command after they over blew the issue of demilitarization giving a hammer in the hands of their promoters Bhartiya Janta Party and Sangh Parivaar to beat Congress policies.
The chief minister is reported to have resorted to the decision of effecting the change in H&UD to test the waters and Muftis closeness to Congress High Command.
The PDP leader has, however, chosen to remain mum over the issue and the fire brand leader has also restrained from spitting venom against the bete-noire Ghulam Nabi Azad.
This is a level playing field now with both (Azad & Muftis) having fallen from grace of 10 Janpath. Now only the politics would prevail to over come the present crisis as both cannot be pressurized by anybody in 10 Janpath.
Meanwhile the decision of the chief minister has sent every minister in a tizzy with speculations of a minor reshuffle and change of portfolios. Sources told News Agency of Kashmir.
The Education Minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed is likely to be dropped following allegations of mass corruption by his spouse, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Babu Singh is also out of favour by the CM, while MoS PHE, Irrigation and Industries is likely to be relived of one portfolio for failure to streamline the Industries department, from PDP MoS R&B is likely to be dropped following allegations of corruption while induction of Nizammuddin Bhat, MLC and chief whip of party Gh Hassan Khan is being speculated among the power corridors. Rural Development Minister Jugal Kishore is tipped to be awarded with another important portfolio in the coming days.