In a first, two women inducted into Cabinet

Bismah Malik

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 1

The 25-member Cabinet of the newly elected government led by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has created history by inducting two women Aseia Naqash and Priya Sethi from the Peoples Democratic Party and the BJP, respectively, into the Cabinet.

While Aseia won the Assembly elections from the Hazratbal constituency in Srinagar, Priya is the president of the J&K BJP Mahila Morcha and is to be nominated as an MLA by her party.

Aseia and Priya were sworn in as the Ministers of State at the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected government today.

Aseia, 45, a law graduate from the University of Kashmir, contested on the PDP ticket for the second time from the Hazratbal constituency, traditionally a National Conference (NC) bastion. She defeated her nearest rival, NC’s Syed Akhoon.

Aseia was the only woman candidate fielded by the PDP in the 2014 Assembly elections.

Although coming from an influential business family of Srinagar and related to PDP MP Tariq Hameed Karra, Aseia has worked as a social worker before joining the politics. She has vowed to solve the basic problems of people which she believes she is familiar with.

BJP’s Priya Sethi, 43, was made the president of the BJP’s state women wing in 2013 and has been vocal about various women-centric issues, including 33 per cent reservation for women in the state legislature.

Priya has been credited with increasing the women base of the BJP in the state, both as the president of the BJP’s women wing and has worked in the party at various levels.

A graduate from DAV College, Dehradun, she also runs a preparatory school in Jammu. Her induction into the Cabinet has put to rest speculations of the BJP’s Srinagar face Hina Bhat’s nomination as an MLA.

The Legislative Assembly has 87 elected members. Two seats have been reserved for women, which are to be nominated by the ruling parties.