Srinagar: Peoples’ Democratic Party president, Mehbooba Mufti, was on Thursday elected as its legislature party leader, clearing the deck for her to becom the first woman chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
The PDP MLAs joined by senior party functionaries and members of its extended core group met here with Ms. Mufti in chair to discuss “threadbare’ the issues pertaining to government formation with alliance partner BJP. Ms. Mufti briefed the meeting on her latest round of talks with BJP leadership including Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in Delhi.
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Party spokesman Naeem Akhtar said that Ms. Mufti was unanimously elected the PDP legislature party leader and that the meeting held at her official residence ‘Fairview’ overlooking the Dal Lake ended with it. Muftis’ confidant and former minister Abdur Rehman Veeri proposed name of Ms. Mufti as PDP’s legislature party leader and it was seconded by Syed Altaf Bukhari, also a former minister and MLA, the spokesman added.
“Besides all the 28 PDP MLAs (27 elected and one nominated woman member), the meeting was also attended by Independent MLA from Zanskar, Syed Bakar Ali Rizvi, who pledged his support to Ms. Mehbooba Mufti,” Mr. Akhtar said. He added, “Following the nomination of Ms. Mufti as the PDP legislature party leader and the chief ministerial candidate, further Constitutional requirement and the process for the government formation would be taken to the logical conclusion in consultation and coordination with the coalition partner BJP.”
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Ms. Mufti thanked party and its lawmakers for electing her as party legislative leader which is constitutionally required before she stakes claim to form government. “Thank you for choosing me as the leader of PDP legislature party. You all are my strength,” she was quoted having told the meeting. She urged the party lawmakers “to rededicate themselves to accomplish the mission and vision of Mufti Muhammad Sayeed” and reiterated her resolve to work towards implementation of the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ formulated with BJP.
