SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is all set to induct her 45-year-old cinematographer brother, Tassaduq Mufti into her cabinet as a tourism minister.
The sources in ruling PDP said decks are being cleared for Tassaduq, who is presently the coordinator of CM’s Grievance Cell, to be inducted into the state cabinet.
They said Tassaduq, who joined the PDP last year on the first death anniversary of his father and former chief minister of the state, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, would be nominated to Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council (LC) against a seat which fell vacant after Vikramaditya Singh, the grandson of former Dogra ruler of the state, Maharaja Hari Singh, resigned from PDP and the upper house of the state.
Singh resigned from PDP following differences with the party leadership over non-declaration of public holiday by Mehbooba-led government on his grandfather’s birthday on September 23.
The PDP sources said the party would nominate Tassaduq for LC’s vacant seat very soon.
“After he takes oath as member of the upper house following Governor N N Vohra’s consent to his nomination, Tassaduq would be inducted into the State cabinet,” they said.
The present strength of the council of ministers is 24 including the Chief Minister and according to the norms, the state can have one more minister in the cabinet.
“The vacant cabinet berth belongs to PDP and the party may induct Tassaduq as minister in the Mehbooba-led government. His induction in the cabinet may take place either before or after the budget session of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, which begin from January 2, 2018,” PDP insiders said.
They said Tassaduq, who won the Zee Cine and Star Screen awards for Best Cinematographer in 2006 for Omkara, is likely to be given tourism portfolio, which is presently with his sister and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Tassaduq, who has studied cinematography in the United States, has been calling for saving Kashmir’s eco-system and seeking formulation of a health insurance policy for the poor.
He was the PDP’s candidate for the deferred Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency by-polls. The seat had fallen vacant after Mehbooba resigned from the Lok Sabha constituency after taking over as CM of the State. The by-polls to the LS seat were deferred in April this year after large scale violence during April 9 by-polls to Srinagar Lok Sabha, which was won by opposition National Conference president Farooq Abdullah.