Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is inducting her younger brother Tasaduq Hussain in the Council of Ministers after nominating him to the legislative Council. On Friday, Tasaduq Mufti resigned from the post of coordinator in the CM’s office, two days after the Government initiated the process of his nomination to the Upper House. Mufti, an acclaimed cinematographer, was looking after the CM’s grievance cell for several months to get acquainted with the affairs of governance.
Sources said that Tasaduq, 45, would be inducted in the Council of Ministers before the Budget Session of the state legislature begins in Jammu on January 2.
Tasaduq wrote a letter to the Government on Friday informing about his resignation from the post “with immediate effect”. Earlier, the State Government sought approval from the Cabinet Ministers for his nomination before the proposal was sent to Governor NN Vohra for approval.
Tasaduq was not interested in joining politics during his father’s lifetime and pursued his career in filmmaking in Mumbai and los Angeles. However, after senior Mufti’s demise on January 6, 2016, he returned to Srinagar and began showing up with his sister. He formally joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the first anniversary of his father this year.
The first plunge into active politics, however, ended on a negative note when the by-poll for the Anantnag lok Sabha seat was cancelled in April.
The PDP had nominated Tasaduq as the party candidate after Mehbooba Mufti resigned the seat to become the Chief Minister.
The by-poll was cancelled following widespread violence and dismal turnout during the by-poll for Srinagar parliamentary constituency. Nine anti-poll protesters were killed and scores were injured on the polling day compelling the Election Commission of India to cancel the subsequent by-poll.
Tasaduq’s induction into council of ministers would give leverage to his sister to grip the party and the Government. Earlier this month, Mehbooba was re-elected as the party president. Her maternal uncle Sartaj Madni was nominated as vice president of the party.
The developments are taking place at a time when the PDP-BJP coalition is heading to reach the halfway mark.
Observers say that Mehbooba Mufti is trying to start from the scratch to mend the dent her party received in the aftermath of killing of Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani that triggered a massive uprising in Kashmir, quelled by the Government with equal vengeance.
Off late Mehbooba has initiated a slew of activities to make her Government felt at the ground level. She is touring to the district headquarters with her Ministers and officers and listening to the people’s grievances.
Her Government also initiated process to offer amnesty to around 4,000 youngsters, alleged to be involved in stone-pelting for the first time. The Government has also started process to regularize 60,000 daily rated employees.