J&K cabinet reshuffle: Deputy CM Kavinder Gupta, seven others take oath

In a major Cabinet reshuffle in Jammu and Kashmir, Assembly speaker Kavinder Gupta and seven others were today sworn in as ministers in the state's PDP-BJP government led by Mehbooba Mufti.

Gupta will be the new deputy chief minister in place of Nirmal Singh, who submitted his resignation last night, officials said.

The new BJP faces sworn in as ministers were the party's state unit chief Satpal Sharma and the MLAs from Kathua and adjoining Sambha, Rajiv Jasrotia and Devinder Kumar Manyal, respectively. 

The BJP also upgraded Sunil Sharma, at present minister of state for transport, to the rank of a cabinet minister. BJP MLA from Doda Shakti Raj took oath as a minister of state. 

The PDP members included in the cabinet were Mohd Khalil Band, MLA from Pulwama, and Mohd Ashraf Mir, MLA from Sonwar.

BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav and Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh attended the event.

The function was held at the convention centre instead of Raj Bhavan as the Jammu and Kashmir government has already shifted its base to summer capital Srinagar, part of the bi-annual darbar move under which the government functions for six months in Jammu and six months in Srinagar. 

Earlier BJP's Ram Madhav said that cabinet reshuffle has nothing to do with the Kathua incident.

''The cabinet reshuffle has nothing to do with the Kathua incident. Our government has completed three years and we decided to give a chance to new faces. 5 members of the party will be sworn-in as ministers today,'' Madhav said.

(With PTI inputs)