INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Cabinet reshuffle today, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh on Sunday resigned from the Mehbooba Mufti government in Jammu and Kashmir to
pave way for a new BJP face for the post
"I have resigned as the Deputy Chief Minister of the government
A fresh face from the BJP will be taking over," Mr Singh said.State Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta will be the new Deputy Chief Minister, a
BJP leader said.All arrangements have been put in place for the much-awaited reshuffle which is expected to take place in Jammu with the BJP
expected to bring in some new faces.Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra will administer the oath of office and secrecy to those being
inducted into the council of ministers at the convention centre at 12 noon, an invitation for the ceremony read.Officials said the function
is being held at the convention centre instead of Raj Bhavan as Jammu and Kashmir government has already shifted its base to summer capital
Srinagar as part of the bi-annual 'darbar move', under which the government functions six months each in the twin capital cities.The Civil
Secretariat, the seat of Jammu and Kashmir government, and Raj Bhavan closed on Friday and will reopen along with other move offices in
Srinagar on May 7.Ahead of the reshuffle, there was speculation that PDP ally BJP, besides filling up two vacancies, is likely to induct
some new faces in the council of ministers by dropping others
A senior BJP leader said was with BJP president Amit Shah who would hand it over to Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh who was in Delhi.The
BJP had on April 17 asked all its nine ministers in the PDP-BJP government in the state to submit their resignations to enable bringing in
new faces in the two-year-old Mehbooba Mufti cabinet.The party, however, had not forwarded the resignations to the Governor.The BJP had been
under pressure ever since two of its ministers -- Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga -- took part in a rally in support of those accused in
the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua
The two ministers subsequently resigned.There is high possibility that one or two ministers of state (MoS) could be elevated to the Cabinet
rank, keeping in view their good performance, sources said.It was not immediately known whether the PDP will also fill up the vacancy caused
by the sacking of Haseeb Drabu as Finance Minister last month
Currently, the BJP has six cabinet ministers, including associate member Sajad Lone, and three minister of state in the Jammu and Kashmir
government.The state can have a maximum of 25 ministers, including the chief minister, out of which 14 portfolios are with the PDP and the
