Jammu, Jan 12: In a major political development, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference is likely to replicate Congress’s famous Kamaraj Plan as the party is seeking resignation of all its ministers, advisors and heads of advisory boards in order to enable Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to reallocate portfolios in the upcoming cabinet expansion.
Informed sources told Greater Kashmir that the Chief Minister is holding `dinner meeting’ with the cabinet ministers, junior ministers, advisors and heads of advisory boards representing National Conference (NC) here on Monday to communicate the party leadership’s decision to go ahead with major reshuffle – both within the party as well as in the council of ministers.
“The decision to seek resignation from all the ministers may be communicated in the meeting itself”, authoritative sources claimed.
They said that contrary to its stand of maintaining “status-quo” with regard to the ministerial berths, NC leadership had a “rethinking” over the issue following “one-to-one” meeting between Union Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah and his Chief Minister son Omar Abdullah, who is also heading the party as interim arrangement.
“It was felt that the party must step into election mode in order to strengthen its base”, sources, privy to the development said adding, “NC may entrust party responsibility to some of its leaders and give chance to new faces in the council of ministers”.
Elaborating sources said that there was strong perception within the party circles that NC should not change its portfolios at this stage and instead shall continue with the ministers in the government. “However, at the same time some of the party leaders had communicated to the high command that they were ready to take over the structural responsibilities within party folds in view of the upcoming general elections”.
The matter, they said, was deliberated upon recently and it was decided that party ministers and heads of all the advisory boards shall submit their resignation to the Chief Minister.
“The Chief Minister has been authorized by the party to take a final call and retain or replace the ministers”, sources claimed.
“In case the resignations are submitted by Monday the government may go for reshuffle within few days”, they said.
As per the Constitutional provision in Jammu and Kashmir, the strength of the council of ministers cannot be more 20 percent of the strength of state's bicameral legislature. The legislative assembly has 87 seats and the legislative council has 36 seats.
Political observers, see latest NC move as a replica of the famous Kamaraj Plan – a political plan formulated in 1963 by senior Congress leader K Kamaraj as third time Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He proposed that all senior Congress leaders should resign from their ministerial posts and devote all their energy to re-vitalization of the Congress. The plan had support of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Six Union Ministers and six Chief Ministers including Lal Bahadur Shastri, Jagjivan Ram, Morarji Desai, Biju Patnaik and SK Patil followed the suit and resigned from their posts.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 12 Jan 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 12 Jan 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 13 Jan 2013 00:00:00 IST