Jammu: In a major outreach to disgruntled party lawmakers, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah has accepted a proposal to constitute informal advisory groups of MLAs for each minister in the Omar Abdullah-led government in Jammu and Kashmir, party sources said.
The NC chief wrote to all MLAs days after a meeting was held in Srinagar where several MLAs voiced concern over a perceived disconnect between the party leadership and the government.
The proposed advisory groups are intended to act as a bridge between the party and the government, ensuring lawmakers are kept informed and involved in key administrative decisions.
Under the planned setup, each MLA will be part of two advisory groups based on their preference.
The party leadership has already asked the legislators to submit their choices for the ministerial sectors they wish to advise on within two weeks.
All NC MLAs have been asked to list three preferences after which two of them will be allotted, the sources said.
On November 6, Farooq Abdullah along with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met a group of dissident party legislators to address their grievances following the recent expansion in the council of ministers.
After the meeting, the NC chief dismissed speculations about any fissures within the party as “baseless rumours” and said it was united and “will never be broken”.
“These baseless rumours being spread that the National Conference is fractured into factions are completely false. This party is united and organised. And those who think they can stop this party – this party has never been broken, nor will it ever be broken, God willing,” Abdullah, flanked by the CM and 15 legislators, had told reporters.
He, however, said the party leadership spoke to the disgruntled MLAs and “their concerns were genuine”. “They were examined very thoroughly. Everyone was heard.”
“God willing, some steps will be taken quickly, while others will be taken gradually to strengthen the party and the government,” the NC chief had said.
