G A Mir Meets Rahul Gandhi in Delhi, Cabinet Expansion, Statehood Stand Figure in Discussions
Srinagar, Sep 1, KNT: Senior Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir met Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Monday, with the possibility of Congress joining the Jammu and Kashmir Council of Ministers figuring in discussions, sources said.
The meeting assumes significance amid continued uncertainty over Congress’s position on joining the Omar Abdullah-led government. The party has maintained that it would not enter the J&K Cabinet until statehood is restored, while any change in that position would require a decision by the party’s central leadership.
According to sources, the meeting covered the issue of Cabinet expansion along with the political situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Discussions also included the party’s position on statehood and preparations for the forthcoming local body and Panchayat elections.
Mir, however, while speaking about the meeting, said political and organizational matters concerning Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry were discussed.
The Congress leader’s meeting with Rahul Gandhi comes at a time when the question of Cabinet expansion has gained renewed attention in J&K, with the ruling National Conference-led government continuing without Congress ministers despite the two parties having contested the Assembly elections as allies.
The Congress’s participation in the government has remained a politically sensitive issue, particularly with the party linking its Cabinet entry to restoration of statehood. [KNT]
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