Jammu: In a major reshuffle of his four-year-old ministry, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today brought in seven new faces from his National Conference that included state Assembly speaker Muhammad Akbar Lone while Congress made one change.
At a function in Raj Bhavan, Governor N N Vohra administered the oath of office and secrecy to Lone, Chowdhary Muhammad Ramzan, Mir Saifullah and Ajay Sadotra after Omar secured the resignation of all ministers belonging to NC.
Lone has often been in the thick of controversy over repeated verbal duels with opposition PDP. Ramzan and Mir are MLAs from Handwara and Kupwara respectively while Sadotra is an MLC from Jammu.
Resignation of close aides of the Chief Minister including Minister of State for Home and Tourism Nasir Aslam Wani and his Political Advisor Devender Singh Rana were accepted in a move suggesting that the two could be drafted for party work ahead of Assembly elections due in the end of 2014.
This is the first reshuffle carried out by Omar after he was sworn-in as Chief Minister on January five, 2009.
At a function in Raj Bhavan, Governor N N Vohra administered the oath of office and secrecy to Lone, Chowdhary Muhammad Ramzan, Mir Saifullah and Ajay Sadotra after Omar secured the resignation of all ministers belonging to NC.
Lone has often been in the thick of controversy over repeated verbal duels with opposition PDP. Ramzan and Mir are MLAs from Handwara and Kupwara respectively while Sadotra is an MLC from Jammu.
Resignation of close aides of the Chief Minister including Minister of State for Home and Tourism Nasir Aslam Wani and his Political Advisor Devender Singh Rana were accepted in a move suggesting that the two could be drafted for party work ahead of Assembly elections due in the end of 2014.
This is the first reshuffle carried out by Omar after he was sworn-in as Chief Minister on January five, 2009.
