Allies bring two new faces each in Mehbooba govt

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 4

Four new faces — two each from PDP and BJP — were inducted in the Mehbooba Mufti-led council of ministers here today.

Among the four new faces, BJP’s Sham Lal Choudhary has got the Cabinet berth while PDP’s

Farooq Ahmed Andrabi and Zahoor Ahmed Mir and saffron party’s Ajay Nanda have been designated as junior ministers.

Sham Choudhary, a Jat leader from the border belt of Jammu district, is a two-time BJP MLA from the Suchetgarh Assembly constituency.

He has replaced another Jat leader Sukhnandan Choudhary, who was holding PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control portfolio in the Mufti Muhammad Sayeed-led Cabinet.

Farooq Ahmed Andrabi is a PDP MLA from Dooru Assembly constituency of Anantnag district. He had defeated senior Congress leader Ghulam Ahmed Mir in a close fought contest.

Andrabi is also Mehbooba’s maternal uncle and the relation seemed to have paved the way for his entry into the council of ministers.

Zahoor Mir, a two-time MLA from the Pampore Assembly constituency, was the chief whip of the PDP during the Mufti-led government.

Zahoor Mir has been included in the council of ministers for the first time.

The BJP, meanwhile, included first-time MLA from Reasi Ajay Nanda into council of ministers. He replaced party’s associate member and Udhampur MLA Pawan Gupta.