Ms Mehbooba Mufti is set to be elected the PDP’s Legislature Party leader at Thursday’s meet in the run-up to the government formation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Ms Mehbooba Mufti is set to be elected the PDP’s Legislature Party leader at Thursday’s meet in the run-up to the government formation in Jammu and Kashmir.
The BJP Legislature Party is also meeting in Jammu to discuss the issue. This is likely to be followed by its writing a separate letter of support for Ms Mufti for the chief minister’s post, the party sources said. If all goes as planned, Ms Mufti will meet the governor on Friday to stake claim to form the new coalition government with the BJP, and BJP state unit president Sat Pal Sharma will hand over the BJP’s letter of support to the governor.
Naeem Akhtar, a former minister and close confidant of the Muftis, had said on Tuesday: “We are meeting on Thursday and hopefully government should be in place by March 29.”
The PDP had won 28 seats in the November-December 2014 Assembly elections but after the death of its patron and former Chief Minister, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, on January 7 this year its tally has come down to 27.
Mr Sayeed represented southern Anantnag segment and most probably his daughter would seek election to the House from there within stipulated six month’s period as warranted by law. She is currently LS member from home constituency Anantnag.
The BJP has 25 members in the 87-member House. The National Conference and Congress have 15 and 12 members, respectively whereas the remaining seats are being held by smaller parties and independents.
