Srinagar, Oct 27: Four National Conference (NC) legislators, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Shamima Firdous, Mir Saifullah and Altaf Ahmad Kaloo, were inducted into the Omar Abdullah-led Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday, bringing an end to days of speculation over the cabinet reshuffle.
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 reshuffle, however, left senior NC leader Mubarak Gul disappointed after he was excluded from the new ministerial lineup.
Speaking to reporters outside Lok Bhawan, Gul said he had attended numerous oath-taking ceremonies over the years but had repeatedly been left out of the cabinet.
“I have attended 30 oath-taking ceremonies till now. Every time I was dropped, and today as well, I am being dropped,” he said.
Among the new inductees, Shamima Firdous expressed happiness over the opportunity given to her by the party, saying she would continue to work harder.
Mir Saifullah, meanwhile, thanked the party leadership and Almighty Allah for the opportunity to join the council of ministers.
“I am really thankful to the Dr Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference leadership and Almighty Allah for this opportunity,” he said ahead of his induction.
As reported earlier, four legislators were expected to be inducted into the council of ministers, with Ali Mohammad Sagar and Altaf Ahmad Kaloo among those tipped for ministerial positions.
Shamima Firdous’s inclusion emerged as a surprise, as her name had not figured prominently among the frontrunners ahead of the reshuffle.
The induction marks a change in the composition of the Omar Abdullah-led cabinet, with the ruling National Conference finalising its choices for the four ministerial positions.
