Naeem Akhtar throws PDP's first hardball with Mehbooba's OK

'Retrun power projects to J&K, hold talks with separatists'

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
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JAMMU, Jan 14: Eight days after the party patron and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s death, Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday threw its first hardball on the coalition ally BJP as the Muftis' confidante and former high profile Education Minister Naeem Akhtar asserted that PDP would examine its profit and loss statement of the last 10 months before forging a fresh ruling alliance with BJP.

In Srinagar, Akhtar called select TV channels to his residence and stated that PDP would review its coalition with BJP after examining its achievements and deficit of the 10-month-long rule before forming a new government with BJP in Jammu and Kashmir. In an unmistakably sulking tone, Akhtar mentioned the coalition's commitments logged in the "Agenda of Alliance" and complained that most of the promises made to his party had remained unfulfilled.

Akhtar particularly made a mention of the BJP's commitment of handing over the NHPC power projects to the State government, announcement of Smart Cities, vacating of the lands occupied by the Central armed forces besides "addressing the internal dimension of the Kashmir problem"----euphemism for holding a dialogue with the Valley’s separatist leadership.

Source well-connected with PDP insisted that Akhtar’s assertions, which constitute a significant policy statement, came only with the PDP President's approval. Party’s designated spokesperson Dr Mehboob Beg is understood to have been barred from issuing statements and reactions to the media after his claiming that PDP-BJP coalition would be in place with Mehbooba as Chief Minister "within 48 hours" after the mourning would be over. Till late on Thursday night, nobody in PDP disowned or amended Akhtar’s statement.

Significantly, Akhtar described "Agenda of Alliance" as a "sacred document" for his party but asked where was this and where was that. During his visit to Srinagar, days before Mufti's death, union Power Minister Piyush Goyal had categorically told mediapersons that the Centre would not hand over any of its power projects to the Government of Jammu and Kashmir. Akhtar said that with regard to vacating the lands occupied by the Central armed forces, just a "positive beginning" had been made with the Army’s announcement that it would vacate Srinagar’s encampment of Tatoo Ground where Mufti announced to lay a public park.

Understandably, the most ticklish issue for the BJP would be PDP's insistence on initiating a dialogue with the Kashmiri separatists more so in an ambience of hostility arising out of the Pathankot between New Delhi and Pakistan.

Tightlipped and still in the mourning of her father, Mehbooba Mufti has not held any political discussion or meeting with her party colleagues or BJP and has not issued any political statement since the day her father became ill during a tour of Srinagar city on December 22. He breathed his last at AIIMS in New Delhi on January 7th.

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BJP in the dark as Mehbooba holds everything to her chest

Ram Madhav holds meeting with BJP legislators in Jammu

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
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JAMMU, Jan 12: With nobody discussing politics in the PDP camp and the bereaved Mehbooba Mufti holding everything to her chest, BJP continues to be groping in the dark with ragard to the prospects of government formation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Since the day of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s death on January 7th, none of her political colleagues has mustered courage to discuss the political issue of the government formation with Ms Mufti. Few of her guests who called on her with a political agenda, including a high level bureaucratic team led by Chief Secretary B.R. Sharma and BJP's J&K incharge Ram Madhav, returned upset as Ms Mufti told them categorically that there would be nothing political during the mourning period post her father's death.

Neither of them did even ask if the mourning period would be over with the official ritual on the 7th day or would run according to the religious practice till 15th or 40th day. And when the party spokesman Mehboob Beg was quoted by news agencies and television channels as saying that Ms Mufti's oath-taking would take place immediately after the 7th day, he was rebuked for "exceeding your brief".

Beg told STATE TIMES that he wanted to say nothing beyond the fact that Ms Mufti would discuss the government formation with her party leaders, legislators and workers only after the mourning period was over at her home. "I said only this much that after her deliberations with the cadres, following the end of the mourning period, Madam would take the final call. But unfortunately a section of the media quoted me as saying that Ms Mufti’s oath-taking would take place in the next 24 hours. How could I give a timeframe when neither the mourning period is over nor has there been any discussion on political issues in the PDP?", Dr Beg asserted.

"As of now, there's absolutely no political activity in PDP or at Mufti Sahab's residence. It's a solemn and sombre ambience and everybody calls on the bereaved family only to offer condolences", Dr Beg said.

According to the family sources, just a few of the PDP leaders, like Muzaffar Hussain Baig, Naeem Akhtar and Altaf Bukhari, have been able to see Ms Mufti and they all avoided discussing politics with her. Among others, only her maternal uncle Sartaj Madni, Mufti's close relative and MLA Syed Farooq Andrabi and her aide and nominated MLA Anjum Fazili have had access to the bereaved party President.

One of the senior leaders said on condition of anonymity that the government formation "if at all it happens with BJP" could take two or three weeks from now. "As of now, nobody in PDP is on record to say that the party would yet again form the government with BJP. Even the possibility of fresh elections does exist at this stage as nobody knows what would be the final call of the President", he said. He, however, ruled out possibility of a coalition with Congress or NC.

In Jammu, BJP camp witnessed some activity on Tuesday as the two leaders from the party high command, namely Ram Madhav and Avinash Rai Khanna, appeared in the winter capital and held a meeting with their State leaders and legislators at the former Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh’s house. The participants discussed prospects of BJP's forming the government with its former coalition partner besides the senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's clarification that Sonia Gandhi or her party had no ambition or intention to form the coalition with PDP.

The meeting, according to sources, discussed BJP's demand of rotational Chief Minister and two more Cabinet berths. However, it was decided that only the party high command would take a decision whether to press such demands with PDP or not.

After the meeting concluded, the BJP Central leaderd told journalists that their party would respond to the PDP communication only after it elected a leader and conveyed it to the former coalition ally BJP. They asserted that there was no difference of opinion with PDP but the process of the government formation had got delayed as the PDP was still in the mourning and it was yet to choose its leader.

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Azad: No question of Congress government formation with PDP

'We visited Srinagar purely out of respect for Mufti Sahab. There's absolutely nothing political in it'

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

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JAMMU, Jan 11: Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday set aside all speculations of the PDP-Congress government formation in Jammu and Kashmir while asserting that the All India Congress Committee President Sonia Gandhi's visit to Srinagar on Sunday was "purely personal".

"There's absolutely nothing political in it. Sonia ji (alongwith Mr Azad and Ambika Soni) called on the bereaved family purely out of our respect and emotional bondage of several decades with Mufti Sahab", Azad told STATE TIMES by telephone from New Delhi. 

"Congress has absolutely no ambition or intention of forming the government with PDP which has been and continues to be a constituent of the coalition with BJP. There's no question of the Congress government formation with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir", Azad added without equivocation. "Unfortunately, some people are reading too much in our visit to Mufti Sahab's residence where we went simply with our condolences for the bereaved family", he asserted.

Azad said that he himself, as well as Sonia Gandhi and Ambika Soni, had "decades of personal and emotional bondage" with Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, his wife and daughter Mehbooba. "We were deeply shocked on learning about his ill health and subsequently death. So we called on him at AIIMS. I was on Umra in Saudi Arabia where I prayed for his recovery. But he passed away next day. After I returned, we decided to visit Srinagar and paid our homage to Mufti Sahab on occasion of his Rasm-e-Chaharum".

Asked why the BJP top brass, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the party President Amit Shah, stayed back in New Delhi and only the Congress top brass visited Srinagar, Azad said: "BJP has strictly a relationship of political convenience with PDP. There's nothing emotional in it. Contrarily, we in Congress have personal and emotional bondage of several decades with the Mufti family. That's perhaps why they stood back in Delhi and we went all the way to Srinagar to pay our tributes and condolences", Azad said.

Asked what precisely were the prospects of the new government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, Azad said Mehbooba Mufti would "most likely" fill the shoes of her father and form her government in coalition with BJP. 

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Governor’s rule a possible end to PDP-BJP alliance

Sonia generates a new chemistry in J&K politics 

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz 

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JAMMU, Jan 9: Peoples Democratic Party hier apparent Mehbooba Mufti’s disinclination to take over as Chief Minister during the mourning of her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who died in hospital on January 7th in New Delhi, coupled with failure to respond to a Raj Bhawan communication, led to imposition of the Governor's rule in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

After two days of hectic political activity from Srinagar to New Delhi, a Raj Bhawan spokesperson said late on Saturday night that the State had been put under Governor’s rule.

"Consequent to the sudden passing away of Chief Minister Shri Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on 7th January 2016, the process to form government had commenced and intimations were still awaited about the respective positions of PDP and BJP. Considering the likelihood of some more time being taken before government can be formed, with the approval of the President of India, Governor’s Rule has been imposed in the State with effect from 8th January, 2016, under Section 92(1) of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir", the spokesperson said.

On Friday, Governor Narendra Nath Vohra had faxed a letter to PDP President Mehbooba Mufti and BJP's State President Sat Paul Sharma asking both to urgently clarify their parties' positions with regard to formation of the new government. Neither of the outgoing coalition partners responded to Raj Bhawan for over 24 hours. Consequently, Governor furnished a report to the Centre through President of India making it clear that under the circumstances only the imposition of Governor’s rule would break the constitutional impasse.

President's concurrence, after necessary approval of the Union government, came to Jammu late in the evening. Raj Bhawan subsequently issued a notification of the imposition of Governor’s rule for indefinite period. 

On Friday and Saturday, a team of senior bureaucrats including Chief Secretary Braj Raj Sharma and the deceased Chief Minister's Principal Secretary Bharat Bhushan Vyas camped in Srinagar and made sustained efforts to convince Ms Mufti that she should take oath of office and secrecy from Governor at an earliest so as to avoid imposition of Governor’s rule. Sources revealed to STATE TIMES that the bureaucrats were put on the job after New Delhi urged Governor to attempt an early transition of power without imposition of Governor’s rule. However, Ms Mufti, sources said, made it categorically clear to the bureaucrats, as well as to the coalition's leaders, that she would not take oath until the mourning at her home was over. She remained confined to her bedroom and granted meeting to only a few of her select guests who included BJP’s General Secretary Ram Madhav.

On Saturday, Ms Mufti met her father's aide Prof Amitabh Mattoo and later only two of her party’s leaders namely Muzaffar Hussain Baig (Lok Sabha member ) and Syed Altaf Bukhari (outgoing Works Minister). Among others, only her maternal uncle Sartaj Madni and nominated MLA Ms Anjum Fazili had access to her room.

Like on Friday, the guests at Mufti's Gupkar Road residence were attended by Mr Madni and other family members. With Ms Mufti remaining incommunicado and no response coming to the Raj Bhawan communication, Governor submitted his report to the Centre.

Even as the PDP leaders attributed the stalemate to Ms Mufti's disinclination to assume office during the mourning period, political quarters were rife with speculations that the PDP chief had "change of heart" with respect to continuing her party’s coalition with BJP. Quite a numberof her party colleagues have been expressing their dissatisfaction over PDP's alliance with BJP perceived to be under the influence of the extreme right wing groups like RSS. Sulking over "choking of funds from Delhi" and developments like BJP's covert campaign against Article 35A of the Constitution of India and the State flag, workers have cautioned the PDP leadership that the party was losing ground in its key constituency in Kashmir.

It has been noticed within the PDP that not more than 4,000 people participated in the Chief Minister’s funeral in his home town where more than 10,000 residents attended a slain militant’s last rites last month.

Fissures in the 10-month-long PDP-BJP alliance as also Ms Mufti's newfound chemistry towards Congress became evident with the Congress President Sonia Gandhi's visits to AIIMS where Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was under treatment for about a fortnight. On one occasion, Mrs Gandhi, in a typical Kashmiri pheran, kept waiting for Ms Mufti who had gone to J&K House, for over 30 minutes till she returned. Significantly, Sonia Gandhi, alongwith Ghulam Nabi Azad, is scheduled to visit Mufti's residence on the 4th day ceremony on Sunday.

Interestingly, union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and MoS in PMO Dr Jitendra Singh were the only BJP leaders who followed Mufti's coffin from New Delhi to Srinagar on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from Pallam Airport after laying a wreath. Contrarily, entire who is who of the Central Government, including Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, had visited Srinagar on occasion of the funeral of the NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah whose mourning was attended by over 10 lakh Kashmiris in September 1982. Even on the day of the death of Sheikh’s wife Begum Akbar Jehan, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, union Home Minister LK Advani and union Defence Minister George Fernandes visited Srinagar and paid tributes to the NC leader at Hazratbal.

Significantly, Congress leader and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, with MLAs Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami and Hakeem Yasin, was more conspicuously present at Mufti's funeral and thereafter than the BJP leaders. 

Even as some PDP and BJP leaders are still optimistic that Ms Mufti would take oath next week, form her government with BJP and carry forward her father's and Prime Minister Modi's "Agenda of Alliance", most of the political observers have perceived her new chemistry with Sonia Gandhi and Mr Azad. For them, today's imposition of Governor’s rule did signify "an end" to PDP's 10-month-long coalition with BJP. However, PDP's formation of the government with Congress is apparently impossible as the total number of PDP and Congress MLAs including all of their allies is only 43---one short of the required 44. The number of NC and BJP MLAs and their allies is also 43. So PDP's coalition with Congress is impossible unless it is either supported by NC or joined by independent MLA Pawan Gupta or Peoples Conference that has two MLAs.

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[ Published in today's STATE TIMES ]

With Mehbooba in mourning, J&K becomes a headless State

Governor asks for PDP's, BJP's stand on government formation 

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz 

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JAMMU, Jan 8: With no claim of the government formation coming forward from the PDP-BJP alliance, Jammu and Kashmir on Friday became a headless State as Governor Narendra Nath Vohra decided against imposition of the Governor's rule before seeking the coalition partners' stand with regard to constitution of the new dispensation following Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s death.

For the whole day, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti remained confined to her bedroom at her Fairview residence on Gupkar Road which was thronged by hundreds of visitors offering condolences over Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s death. PDP spokesman Dr Mehboob Beg said that Ms Mufti met with "only a couple of the guests" while as most of the guests were attended by her family members including maternal uncle Sartaj Madni.

In the evening, BJP leaders Ram Madhav and Avinash Rai Khanna called on Ms Mufti. She had a 30-minute long meeting with Madhav and, according to sources, made it clear to him that she would not take any political meetings or decisions before conclusion of her father's fourth day ceremony on Sunday. BJP's chief whip in Rajya Sabha and national vice president incharge Jammu and Kashmir Khanna and the outgoing Dy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh were not allowed in the meeting.

Later, at 8.00 p.m. both Madhav and Khanna returned to New Delhi by the same chartered plane that earlier ferried them to Srinagar.

Madhav and Khanna also had a meeting with their party leaders and legislators upon their arrival at Circuit House. One of the senior BJP leaders present in the meeting revealed to STATE TIMES that the BJP legislators handed to Khanna a resolution that called for rotational term of 3 years for PDP's and BJP's Chief Ministers. Alternatively, it demanded 2 more Cabinet berths for BJP.

Madhav received the resolution and said that he would press it hard with PDP. However, he told the BJP gathering that he was not hopeful of its acceptance by the PDP.

The BJP MLAs and MLCs had several rounds of discussions at Circuit House over formation of the new government in an alliance with PDP under Ms Mufti. Sources said that the final call of supporting or not supporting a leader would have to be taken by the BJP high command in New Delhi. "We will do what we will be asked to do", a senior BJP legislator said.

BJP's State President and MLA Sat Paul Sharma told STATE TIMES that his party would neither respond to Governor's letter nor deliberate upon the government formation untill the mourning was over at Mufti's residence. However Ram Madhav reportedly told some journalists that BJP would respond to Governor’s communication by Saturday afternoon. 

On Thursday evening, BJP legislators have already decided to support Ms Mufti’s claim for formation of the new government as and when it is submitted to Raj Bhawan.

Sources told STATE TIMES that earlier in the forenoon, Chief Secretary BR Sharma, ex-CM's Principal Secretary B.B. Vyas and Home Secretary R.K. Goyal called on Ms Mufti and insisted that she take the oath as Chief Minister within Friday. Senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar arranged their meeting with Ms Mufti who reportedly maintained that she was not prepared to take over as Chief Minister before conclusion of the mourning at her home.

An attempt by Mr Akhtar to persuade her to take the oath failed to yield any results. Later, in the evening, Home Secretary Goyal returned to Jammu and narrated all the day's developments to Governor Vohra whose aircraft was ready for the whole day to carry him to Srinagar for Mehbooba's swearing in ceremony. 

Sources revealed to STATE TIMES that Governor submitted a report on the political developments to the Government of India with the proposal of imposition of Governor’s rule for a brief period. However the Centre advised him to first seek PDP's and BJP's stand with regard to formation of the new government. Accordingly, Raj Bhawan faxed separate letters to BJP State President Sat Paul Sharma and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti. Neither of them responded to the Raj Bhawan communication till midnight on Friday.

Sources close to PDP high command said that the party could meet on Monday to take a call. "If everything goes on smoothly, swearing-in ceremony could take place on January 12th----Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s birth anniversary", said an insider. It is widely speculated that Ms Mufti would choose her fresh team as members of her Council of Ministers if she decided to be her father's successor as Chief Minister.

Those who drove all the way to Bijbehara to offer Fatiha at Mufti's tomb and later stayed together at Mehbooba's Srinagar residence included former Chief Minister Gh Nabi Azad, CPM State Secretary Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami and independent MLA Hakeem Mohammad Yasin.

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[ Published in today's STATE TIMES ]

Mehbooba being sworn-in as CM at SKICC today 

On Rajnath's advise, BJP decides to support Mehbooba's nomination; Ram Madhav to call on her in Srinagar

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz 

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JAMMU, Jan 7: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti’s swearing-in as Chief Minister did not materialise on Thursday following her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s funeral in hometown Bijbehara as the politician in a shock felt indisposed at her Srinagar residence. Now Governor Narendra Nath Vohra would give her oath of office and secrecy at SKICC in Srinagar on Friday, STATE TIMES learned from highly placed political and bureaucratic sources.

Immediately after some funeral rites were performed at Mufti's Fairview residence on Gupkar Road and the body was despatched for Bijbehara in a flower bedecked carriage following Namaaz-e-Janazah at Sher-e-Kashmir International Cricket Stadium Sonwar, Ms Mufti confined herself to her bedroom. She could not respond to scores of phone calls including two from very important quarters in New Delhi: One from President of India Pranab Mukherjee and another from BJP chief Amit Shah. 

"She is unwell and sleeping", both were told.

Sources in the PDP called it "strange and surprising" that the media and politicians were making her Chief Minister at a time when she was in "deep shock" and "indisposed". She didn't even visit her village after her father was laid to rest.

"I don't know how journalists are reporting that PDP handed over a letter of support in her favour to Governor when no such development has taken place", PDP General Secretary Nizamuddin Bhat told STATE TIMES. He insisted that as long as Ms Mufti was not well, nothing of it would be even discussed. "Thereafter a proper legislature party meeting will take place and it will be resolved, hopefully unanimously, that she should be sworn in as Chief Minister. We are likely to receive similar resolution from our coalition partner BJP by tomorrow. Thereafter, with Mehboobaji's consent, we will submit both letters to Governor", Mr Bhat said.

On the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s advise, BJP legislators held a meeting at Hari Niwas guesthouse in the afternoon on Thursday and decided unanimously to support Ms Mufti’s nomination as Chief Minister. Later, according to informed sources, PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig and Governor Narendra Nath Vohra met briefly at Srinagar airport. They were, sources said, unanimous that Governor's rule would have to be imposed in case the new Chief Minister could not be sworn in by 4.00 pm Friday.

While maintaining that much would depend on Ms Mufti’s health and inclination, sources said that BJP national general secret Ram Madhav would fly to Srinagar on Friday morning and call on Ms Mufti to extend his personal and his party's condolences on her father's demise. The two leaders are expected to discuss the oath-taking as well as constitution of the new Council of Ministers. It is widely speculated that Ms Mufti would choose her own team and reshuffle portfolios, though not more than three Ministers from each party could be dropped and replaced by new faces.

"If all went well, Ms Mufti could be sworn in as CM tomorrow and thereafter the members of her Council of Ministers could take oath in a few days in Jammu", said a highly placed political source. Commencement of the Legislature's Budget session on January 18th makes it necessary to form the new government in the next 10 days.

Meanwhile after returning to the winter capital from Srinagar this evening, Government Vohra is understood to have discussed formation of the new government and Friday's oath-taking ceremony with Chief Secretary BR Sharma and Principal Secretary to the former Chief Minister Bharat Bhushan Vyas.

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[ Published in today's STATE TIMES ]

Mehbooba likely to take over as CM before Budget session

Baig called to Delhi; Ministers, BJP leaders, CS, DGP too in union capital 

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

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JAMMU, Jan 5: With Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s condition deteriorating in an ICU at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the process of installing his daughter Mehbooba Mufti as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir is now underway in New Delhi.

Highly placed BJP sources in New Delhi confirmed to STATE TIMES that a process to clear the decks for Ms Mufti's installation as Chief Minister of the politically sensitive State had begun. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP's National General Secretary Ram Madhav and Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office Dr Jitendra Singh, sources revealed, were in the loop.

Even as no timeline of the transfer of power to Ms Mufti, who would be the State’s first woman Chief Minister, had been fixed until Tuesday evening, sources said there was a "stark likelihood" of her taking over before commencement of the Budget session of the State legislature on January 18th. Currently, PDP's President and Lok Sabha member from south Kashmir, Ms Mufti would have the option of becoming a member of either House of J&K legislature in six months of her taking oath as Chief Minister.

Now 56-year-old, and a mother of two daughters, Ms Mufti made her debut in politics in 1996 when she contested and won her first Assembly election as Congress candidate from her home segment of Bijbehara where her father Mufti Mohammad had repeatedly lost all of his elections to National Conference. In 1983, Mufti was Congress party's candidate from the twin segments of Bijbehara and Homeshalibugh. NC's candidates defeated him on both. Later, he won Assembly election from RS Pora, Jammu.

Mehbooba played a key role in her father's victory as Congress candidate in Lok Sabha elections of 1998 when Mufti Mohammad Sayeed defeated NC's Mohammad Yousuf Taing from south Kashmir. However, a year later Mufti Sayeed lost to NC's Ali Mohammad Naik. Mufti, alongwith Mehbooba and some key associates floated his own regional party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999. In 2002 Assembly elections, PDP bagged 16 seats and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed became for the first time Chief Minister with the support of Congress and some independent MLAs.

In 2004 Ms Mufti contested and won her first Lok Sabha election, from south Kashmir. In 2008, she contested and was returned as MLA from Wachi segment of Shopian in south Kashmir when PDP bagged 21 seats but lost power to NC-Congress coalition. In 2014, Ms Mufti was yet again returned as Lok Sabha member from south Kashmir. Later in November-December Assembly elections, PDP got 28 seats and in March 2015 it formed its second government in Jammu and Kashmir---this time in an alliance with BJP and the separatist-turned-mainstream politician Sajjad Lone. 80-year-old Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who had previously also functioned as Union Minister of Tourism and Union Home Minister, was appointed as Chief Minister for full term of 6 years.

On December 22, CM developed some health complications during a daylong tour of Srinagar city. He was shifted to Nehru Guest House for a night but next day flown to New Delhi and admitted in AIIMS. A few days back, his condition improved to the extent that he called some people, including his Principal Secretary BB Vyas on telephone twice to discuss some urgent matters of the government. However on Saturday, his condition began deteriorating again.

"His recovery would be a miracle but even if, God willing, he recovers, he would not be in a position to deliver as head of the government. Yes, we have deliberated on it and decided to support Ms Mufti as the next Chief Minister", a senior BJP leader and Minister said.

PDP leaders invariably maintained that neither Ms Mufti nor any other leader had thought about it. "We are very much hopeful that Mufti Sahab will recover soon. Whatever decision will be taken by him only", said a senior PDP leader, insisting to be anonymous. However, insiders in the top PDP rungs revealed to STATE TIMES that Ms Mufti on Tuesday called her senior colleague and Lok Sabha member from north Kashmir Muzaffar Hussain Baig to New Delhi for "some urgent deliberations". It is likely that Mr Baig, who arrived in New Delhi from Jammu in the evening, may initiate the process and nominate Ms Mufti as the next party leader and Chief Minister.

A number of senior PDP and BJP leaders, including Education Minister Naeem Akhtar, arrived in the Union capital and enquired about the health of Chief Minister. Chief Secretary Braj Raj Sharma and Director General of Police K Rajendra Kumar also landed in New Delhi, though both attended scheduled official meetings with the Central officials.

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