Mehbooba to take charge as J&K CM today
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti is set to take over as the 13th Chief Minister and as the first woman to hold the office in Jammu and Kashmir. The 56-year-old will take oath as Chief Minister of the PDP-BJP government at the Raj Bhavan in Jammu. The oath of office will be administered Governor N N Vohra, bringing an end to the Governor's rule.
The alliance between BJP and People's Democratic Party for Government Formation in Jammu & Kashmir was formed on 27 February 2015 and then Mufti Mohammad Sayeed became J&K's CM.
J&K CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed died of multi-organ failure on 7 January 2016 in AIIMS, Delhi. It was assumed that his daughter would take his place as the state's CM after her father's demise. High-level party sources had confirmed that the swearing-in of Mehbooba Mufti would take place after the 4 days of mourning (from the day of Sayeed's demise) were over.
Governor's rule came into effect in J&K because of the delay in the formation of the new government. This had to be imposed because of the hesitation of Mufti's daughter Mehbooba to take oath during the mourning period. This happened even after "her party has already conveyed to the Governor that 28 MLAs of the PDP legislature party backed her".
PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti broke her silence on J&K's government formation and said she hoped BJP would honor the PDP-BJP "Agenda of Alliance." She added that the BJP will have to take substantive steps in a "set timeframe" to address "core" political and economic issues of J&K. She stated that she will decide only after being "convinced" of BJP's commitment to the state.
PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti said that she would not assume the reins of power in J&K unless it is certain that peace and prosperity would come to the common man. She also praised PM Modi and said India was a tolerant country for letting voices of dissent like those in JNU, be heard. She said she sought concrete measures to ensure stability in J&K.
BJP legislator Ravinder Raina stated that the BJP would "never" accept new conditions for alliance put forth by Mehbooba Mufti. The Nowshera MLA said the party would stick to the "Agenda of Alliance" that had been agreed upon with PDP last year. He added that the BJP has "several options" to form government in the state, if the alliance with PDP breaks down
In an attempt to address the uncertainty over the government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti arrived in New Delhi for discussions with PM Modi. After the meeting Mufti stated that the discussions were "very positive" and "good" in addressing issues of the people of the state. She refused to comment on whether the stalemate between the BJP and PDP ended.
Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra invited PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and BJP members for separate meetings on 25 March, to decide upon the government formation in the state. The BJP's J&K unit asked Mehbooba Mufti to restart negotiations on forming a government in the state. BJP officials stated that they hoped the PDP would take the initiative to form the new government.
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti was unanimously elected as PDP's chief ministerial candidate. 25 BJP members elected Nirmal Singh as its leader who will be Deputy CM. Sources added that the dates for the swearing-in ceremony will be decided after a meeting with Governor N N Vohra. The announcement came hours after Mufti met PM Modi in Delhi to discuss the J&K stalemate.
The PDP and BJP are expected to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir in the first week of April. PDP and BJP leadership will meet Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra and stake claim to form the new government, ending the nearly two-month deadlock. The government headed by Mehbooba will be the first in Jammu and Kashmir to have a woman Chief Minister.
PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti, set to be the first woman Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, is likely to be sworn-in on 4 April. Mehbooba, met Governor N N Vohra and staked claim to form the government with the support of 25 MLAs of the BJP. Mehbooba will have the distinction of being the first Muslim woman Chief Minister of the country.
