J&K Cabinet rejig: Facing Kathua heat, BJP to bring on new faces; updates

The Mehbooba Mufti-led Jammu and Kashmir government's Cabinet reshuffle will take place on Monday noon, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in alliance with the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, expected to bring in some new faces. Ahead of the reshuffle, BJP leader and Jammu & Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh tendered his resignation. State Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta will take over Singh's post in the PDP-BJP government.

According to the invitation for the ceremony, the oath of office and secrecy will be administered to those being inducted into the council of ministers by J&K Governor N N Vohra at the convention centre in Jammu at 12 noon. The function is being held at the convention centre instead of the Raj Bhavan because the J&K government has already shifted its base to the summer capital of Srinagar as part of its biannual 'darbar move', under which the government functions six months each in the twin capital cities.

Officials said that BJP's state unit chief Sat Sharma and MLAs from Kathua and adjoining Sambha, Rajiv Jasrotia and Devinder Kumar Manyal, were among the BJP faces who would be inducted into the state government as Cabinet ministers. An unnamed senior BJP leader told news agencies that the party leaders, in general, had no information on the specific number of people who were being inducted into the Cabinet or being dropped from the Cabinet. He added that BJP national president Amit Shah and party general secretary Ram Madhav had the list, which would be handed over to Nirmal Singh either on Sunday night or Monday morning.