Mehbooba holds one-on-one with Ministers, rapprochement in sight

TNN Bureau. Updated: 2/20/2017 4:17:46 PM Front Page

SHABIR AHMAD
Srinagar, Feb 19: Leaving the mediators aside, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti held closed doors meeting with her two former cabinet ministers who have resigned two days ago and there are likely chances of reconciliation in near future.
Mehbooba telephoned to former Ministers Imran Raza Ansari and Syed Basharat Bukhari Saturday evening and discussed their resignation and other issues with them in separate one to one meetings.
“I got a call from Chief Minister Saturday and same we had a meeting her residence same evening,” former Information Technology (IT), Technical Education and Sports and Youth Services Minister, Imran Raza Ansari told The News Now. Imran , who on Sunday, left for Iraq for pilgrimage said that they discussed things threadbare. “I told her that you had promised me change of portfolio last time but you did not,” he said. “I told her now I did not need any ministry.”
Imran is PDP’s Shia face and from the family of former party stalwart and Shia leader Moulana Ifthikar Hussain Ansari. At the time of formation of coalition government in 2015, Imran has publicly shown displeasure with the portfolios. However, he joined the cabinet, reportedly after assurances by the then Chief Minister, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed.
On Sunday morning Basharat Bukhari, former revenue minister, who had put in his papers on Friday, had also a detailed meeting with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti at her Gupkar residence and it lasted for nearly two hours.
“I met my party leader and we discussed all issues,” Basharat told The News Now. He said whatsoever he has written in his resignation was discussed threadbare. “I also discussed party and personnel issue with Chief Minister,” Bukhari said and denied to disclose the result of the meeting. “So far I have resigned two days ago and I have nothing else to say.”
It needs to be mentioned here that in the last two days there have been efforts at various levels for reconciliation and save PDP from any crisis.
On Saturday, a group of senior PDP leaders including Vice-President Sartaj Madni, Muhammad Rafi Mir and Abdul Haq Khan had met both Imran and Bukhari and asked them to reconsider their resignation decision. It was stated that he trio had gone to meet the aggrieved leaders on their own and had no direction from the Chief Minister to do so. The Chief Minister on Saturday during a function here chose not to speak on the issue.
A top leader of PDP on the basis of anonymity said that the Chief Minister was reportedly considering sending resignations to Raj Bhawan but it was stopped later. “She contacted them personally and it really a good step,” the top leader said adding mediation at times aggravates things further.
The Minister hoped that things will be put on right track. “We do not whether, CM has given any assurance to them but pulse says things will be on right track,” he said adding Mehbooba so far did not divulge any details about the meeting with any party leader.


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