Peoples Democratic Party leaders Muzaffar Hussain Beigh and Altaf Bukhari submitted a letter to Governor NN Vohra nominating Mehbooba Mufti as the leader of the PDP’s legislature party – which would entitle her to assume charge as the new chief minister. In Jammu and Kashmir, which has special status, Governor’s Rule is imposed immediately in case a chief minister dies as the post can not be kept vacant.
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described his leadership as “exemplary”.
Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who passed away at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi Thursday morning, was laid to rest with full State honours at his hometown of Bijbehara, this evening.
Arunachal Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, who is away in New Delhi, also mourned the sudden demise of his Jammu and Kashmir counterpart.
Sayeed, a former lawyer, was appointed India’s first Muslim home minister in 1989.
Responding to a question, Lal Singh said that Mehbooba Mufti will certainly be the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and BJP will whole heartedly support her. “The father-daughter struggled a lot to launch and establish their party and we have great regard for Mehbooba Ji”.
Sayeed was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit of AIIMS since December 24, a day after his health deteriorated following his six-hour tour of Srinagar city on a spine-chilling cold day on December 22.
The “Namaaz-e-Janazah” (funeral prayers) of the departed leader was offered in the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium in Srinagar in which thousands of mourners took part.
Mufti Saheb worked for the socio-economic and political betterment in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. In his long political journey he won many admirers across the political spectrum.
Once sworn in, she would be the first woman chief minister of country’s only Muslim majority state. The casket in which Mufti’s body was carried was wrapped in Indian and J&K state flags.
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Born in Baba Mohalla of Bijbehara in Anantnag district on 12 January 1936, Sayeed had his early education at a local school and graduated from S P College, Srinagar. Mufti was unable to find candidates thus gave mandate to his daughter and wife.
