Srinagar: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday assured PDP leader and MLA Pattan, Imran Raza Ansari—who resigned from the State Cabinet last month following redistribution of portfolios—of “addressing all his concerns” and asked him to resume the office.
“I assured him (Ansari) of addressing all his concerns,” Mehbooba, who is PDP President, told Greater Kashmir. “I will look into all the issues.”
Ansari met the Chief Minister at her Gupkar residence here on Sunday following which the PDP leader was made in-charge of Srinagar-Budgam Parliamentary constituency which would go to the polls on April 9. “He (Ansari) will be in-charge of the constituency,” the Chief Minister said.
Ansari and another PDP leader Basharat Bukhari had resigned from the Cabinet on February 16, hours after Chief Minister expanded her Council of Ministers and effected major changes in portfolios under her party leaders.
While Bukhari, who represents Sangrama constituency in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district, joined the cabinet after some days after meeting the Chief Minister, Ansari, who was expecting a “better portfolio” in the cabinet reshuffle, was left disappointed when there was no change in his portfolio of Information Technology, Technical Education and Youth Services & Sports.
On March 12, on his return from pilgrimage to Iraq and Iran, Ansari told Greater Kashmir that he wouldn’t join the cabinet till the issues he had raised with the Chief Minister were resolved. The Chief Minister’s assurance to Ansari comes at a time when Kashmir is all set to witness by-elections to two parliamentary seats of Srinagar-Budgam and Anantnag-Pulwama. Ansari, who represents Pattan constituency, is an influential Shia leader and holds a significant influence in his community.
During the meeting, Mehbooba also told Ansari that she treats him as her younger brother.
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