Mehbooba Mufti set to become Jammu & Kashmir’s first woman CM

Holi has filled the PDP-BJP canvas with bright shades after Mehbooba Mufti was elected PDP legislature party leader setting a stage for her to become the first woman chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

The decision to anoint Mehbooba for the post of chief minister came after two-and-a-half months’ hiatus following the death of her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7.

Mehbooba during the last two months tried to play hardball to renegotiate the terms of agenda of alliance and pressure BJP- led Centre to announce confidence building measures after Mufti’s demise.

PDP had been demanding vacating of private lands from the occupation of the security forces, handing over the NHPC-run power projects to state government, engaging separatists in talks and renegotiating the economic package to give more compensation to the flood-hit people before forming the government in Jammu and Kashmir.

But a half-an-hour meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday ultimately sealed the deal. It was mere a formality to nominate Mehbooba for the post of chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir as all decks had already been cleared.

The formal announcement to elect Mehbooba as PDP legislature party leader and nominate her for chief minister’s post was made after a two-hour-long meeting held at Mufti’s Fairview residence on Thursday evening.

Presenting a united face in the wake of speculations of defection in the party, all the MLAs, senior leaders and Members of Parliament attended the meeting.

“All the MLAs and senior leaders, including MPS, attended the meeting. Legislature party of PDP unanimously elected Mehbooba Mufti as leader of the legislature party and nominated her as a candidate for the post of chief minister”, said Naeem Akthar, senior PDP leader and former education minister.

Earlier during the day, Mehbooba visited the mausoleum of her father Mufti Mohommad Sayeed to offer prayers and seek divine blessings.

The 56-year-old single mother of two daughters is presently the Lok Sabha MP from Anantnag constituency of south Kashmir

PDP has 28 MLAs in the 87-member House while its alliance partner BJP has 25 MLAs. Plus the coalition has support of two MLAs from separatist-turned-mainstream leader Sajad Lone’s People’s Conference and independent MLA from Udhampur. Independent MLA Aga Baqar Rezvi has also extended support to the candidature of Mehbooba

Mehbooba Mufti will be meeting the Jammu and Kashmir governor NN Vohra on Friday to convey the decision of her party. Vohra will separately meet the BJP leaders also.

“Further process will take constitutional course as governor has called Mehbooba Mufti for a meeting. He has also invited leaders of BJP, who are our allies, for a meeting tomorrow. Other things will follow in coordination and consultation with our alliance partner,” said Naeem.

PDP leaders also played down the issues related to earlier demands and preconditions for forming the government with BJP again in the state. “The agenda of alliance is very comprehensive and there is no need to put any condition. There is no need to add or delete from agenda of alliance”, Muzaffar Hussain Baig, PDP MP from Baramulla.

The date for the swearing-in ceremony, however, has not been decided and it has been left on governor to decide. “Oath ceremony will be decided by the governor and we cannot dictate the date of swearing in. It will be decided in the meeting with governor,” said Baig.