Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 15: In a major reshuffle in the organizational structure of National Conference, party’s working president and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today appointed his two most trusted lieutenants—Devender Singh Rana and Nasir Aslam Wani as provincial presidents of the party for Jammu and Kashmir provinces respectively.
Omar made the appointments after accepting resignations of Rana as Political Advisor and Nasir as Minister of State for Home.
Party sources said the step was aimed at strengthening the National Conference at grass root level in both the provinces and brace up the party for ‘Mission 2014’ i.e. the Assembly elections, which were due in the State in November-December next year.
Both Mr Rana and Mr Wani had voluntarily offered themselves for the party after resigning as the Advisor and the Minister respectively.
Sources said the Chief Minister has assigned the crucial assignments to Mr Rana and Mr Wani and asked them to gear up well ahead of the Assembly elections to make the National Conference a force to reckon with and face the challenge of opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and other political forces.
Omar has dissolved the provincial committees of Jammu and Kashmir with immediate effect and announced that they would be re-constituted shortly.
Meanwhile, in another significant decision, Omar has nominated Dr Mehboob Beg, National Conference Lok Sabha member from Anantnag as party’s Central Secretary for Kashmir.
Abdul Gani Malik, who resigned as Cabinet Minister and Rashpal Singh, who quit as vice chairman of Kissan Welfare and Advisory Board, have been appointed as Central Secretaries for Jammu. Mr Malik would be Incharge Parliamentary constituency of Udhampur-Doda-Kathua while Mr Singh would be Incharge Parliamentary constituency of Jammu-Poonch-Rajouri.
Surjit Singh Slathia, who also resigned as Cabinet Minister, has been appointed as senior vice president of the party for the State.
Qamar Ali Akhoon, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, Rattan Lal Gupta and Mushtaq Ahmad Bukhari have been appointed as vice presidents. Mr Akhoon and Mehdi had also quit as Cabinet Ministers while Mr Bukhari had resigned as vice chairman Pahari Welfare Advisory Board. Rattan Lal Gupta had resigned as provincial president for Jammu.
Omar has also appointed Qaiser Jamshed Lone as district president of NC for Kupwara.
Javaid Ahmad Dar, who resigned as MoS Works, has been appointed as district president of Baramulla.
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