Srinagar, October 27:
The suspense over the cabinet reshuffle of the National Conference (NC) ended on Tuesday. Four National Conference MLAs — Ali Mohammad Sagar, Shamima Firdaus, Mir Saifullah and Altaf Ahmad Kalu — were sworn in as ministers at Lok Bhavan in Srinagar.
According to the information, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers.
Several senior political leaders and officials were present at the swearing-in ceremony.
This change will bring a newness to the Council of Ministers. Senior NC leader Mubarak Gul has expressed disappointment over not getting a place in this reshuffle.
Speaking to reporters outside Lok Bhavan, Gul said he has witnessed 30 swearing-in ceremonies so far. Every time he was excluded, and he is still excluded today.
Shamima Firdaus expressed happiness over the opportunity. Mir Saifullah thanked the party leadership.
Meanwhile, Shamima Firdaus’ inclusion in the cabinet came as a surprise, as her name was not among the leading contenders before the reshuffle. His inclusion marks a new twist in the reshuffle of the Council of Ministers, as the party has finalised its candidates for the four seats lying vacant in the Omar Abdullah-led government.
