The People's Democratic Party(PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir has reshuffled the state cabinet today. Deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh resigned from the Mehbooba Mufti government in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, paving the way for a new BJP face for the post in a cabinet reshuffle. Singh's decision came post meeting BJP President Amit Shah in New Delhi.

BJP leader Kavinder Gupta took oath as the new Deputy Chief Minister of the state. Some of the other fresh faces inducted in the Cabinet include, BJP Kathua MLA Rajeev Jasrotia, PDP Pulwama MLA Mohammad Khalil Bandh, Ashraf Mir, and others who have also taken their oath as ministers in Jammu and Kashmir Government.

According to an ANI report, BJP had asked all its nine ministers in the state government to submit their resignations to enable the party to bring in new faces. J&K governor NN Vohra today administered the oath to the new ministers.

Why the reshuffle?

In the wake of the recent outrage in the state over the Kathua rape and murder case, BJP decided to induct these new faces in the government ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha and 2020 assembly elections. According to a report in Economic Times, the rejig in the BJP became imminent after its two ministers — Choudhary Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga — were asked to resign in the wake of their participation in a rally in Hiranagar, organised in support of the accused in the rape and murder case of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua. BJP has also been facing a backlash in Jammu over the state government stalling the demand for a CBI inquiry into the case, and over the failure to meet the demand for districts in Nowshera and Akhnoor.

However, according to an ANI, Ram Madhav, BJP on cabinet reshuffle said, "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."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 30, 2018 12:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).