BJP threatens agitation over alleged regional imbalance in Cabinet
Arvind Sharma
JAMMU TAWI, Oct 30: Political activity in the winter capital is expected to intensify in the coming days as all nine ministers of the National Conference (NC)-led government are scheduled to reach Jammu on November 1, ahead of the Darbar Move, which will commence functioning here from November 2.
The political debate is likely to centre on the alleged neglect of the Jammu region in the recent Cabinet reshuffle, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the main opposition party in the J&K Legislative Assembly, already criticising the move for what it describes as regional discrimination.
The reshuffle saw the exit of Satish Sharma from the Council of Ministers, leaving Jammu with only two ministerial representatives—Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary from Rajouri district and Javed Rana from Poonch district.
BJP leaders have warned of taking to the streets to protest what they describe as the marginalisation of Jammu in the Omar Abdullah-led government. Attention is also focused on the Congress, an alliance partner of the National Conference, which has so far refrained from joining the government but has kept its options open amid the growing debate over Jammu’s representation.
This will be the first time that all nine ministers of the NC-led government will assemble in Jammu following the recent reshuffle. Their arrival is expected to bring the political developments surrounding the Cabinet composition and regional representation into sharper focus.
The reshuffle has significantly altered the regional balance in the Council of Ministers. Before the changes, Jammu and Kashmir regions had equal representation, with three ministers each. The revised composition has reportedly increased Kashmir’s representation to seven ministers, while Jammu has been left with only two.
Of the ten districts in the Jammu region, eight are now without representation in the Council of Ministers, raising concerns over regional balance and political representation.
With the Darbar Move bringing the entire administration to Jammu, the coming days are likely to witness intensified political exchanges over the composition of the government and the representation of the two regions.