Umer Maqbool
Srinagar, Oct 30 : In a sign of growing dissent within the ruling National Conference (NC), as many as 18 MLAs met in Srinagar on Friday afternoon to deliberate on their strategy in response to the recent cabinet reshuffle.
Highly placed sources told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that 17 National Conference MLAs and one Independent MLA attended the meeting at the residence of an NC legislator in the airport area of Srinagar.
“The meeting focused on devising a strategy against what was termed an unjust cabinet expansion,” sources disclosed.
The participation of many legislators indicates that the group of dissidents could be even larger as some MLAs who had boycotted the recent oath-taking ceremony were unable to attend the meeting due to prior engagements.
As many as 11 MLAs supporting the ruling alliance, most of them from the NC, stayed away from the oath-taking ceremony of four ministers on Tuesday here.
According to sources, there was a unanimous consensus among the legislators to demand the removal of all four ministers who had taken oath on October 16, 2024, when the government was formed.
“They have completed two years in office and should now be replaced by new faces,” sources said—(KNO)
