J&K Deputy CM Nirmal Singh resigns ahead of cabinet reshuffle

Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh quit the Mehbooba Mufti cabinet late on Sunday evening, suggesting there may rift between the BJP-PDP alliance in the state.

Singh tendered his resignation ahead of the cabinet reshuffle, scheduled to take place on Monday. Singh will be replaced by State Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta.

Earlier this month, the BJP had asked all its members, except Nirmal Singh, to quit the Mehbooba Mufti government to pave way of a cabinet rejig, in the aftermath of the chargesheet filed in the Kathua gangrape case. Two BJP MLAs Chander Prakash Ganga and Choudhary Lal Singh were asked to quit over their stance on the Kathua gang rape and murder case for supporting the accused.

Amid media speculations of a deepening rift between the BJP-PDP alliance, an unnamed former minister said that there was no question of pulling out of the Mufti-led government.

Singh had backed Mufti’s stand of going with the J&K Police's Crime Branch investigation, however many BJP members demanded a CBI investigation into the case. Singh also shared a good rapport with Mufti, often acting as a bridge between the ideologically contradicting alliance partners.

Mufti’s 22-member incumbent council of ministers consists of six Cabinet-rank ministers from the BJP and 13 from the PDP. The remaining are Ministers of State (MoS).

According to reports, at least 6 ministers will take oath of office and secrecy at the convention centre in Jammu. The oath will be administered by J&K Governor NN Vohra.  The BJP had called for a rejig not only to drop non-performing members, but because the BJP top brass was unhappy with its members surrendering to the PDP stronghold, while failing to safeguard the interests of the Jammu region where the BJP enjoys a majority.

It has also been reported that the final list of new inductees and the rejig in existing portfolios is with BJP supremo Amit Shah and party general secretary Ram Madhav; and that the decision to replace Nirmal Singh with Speaker Kavinder Gupta was made in a meeting chaired by the two. Gupta is a first-time MLA, but an old BJP and RSS hand. He has served as the mayor of Jammu between 2005 and 2010.