SRINAGAR, 30 October — The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mufti Muhammad Sayeed was yesterday elected leader of the PDP legislature party.
The election was a formality to clear the decks for Sayeed to stake claim to form the new government in Kashmir.
The Congress party Sunday conceded the chief minister’s post to Sayeed, under a power-sharing arrangement for forming a coalition government in the strategic Himalayan state.
He will head the government for the first half of its six-year term.
Sayeed did not, however, contest state assembly elections in September-October and is not a member of the 87-member house. He will have six months after becoming chief minister to get elected to the assembly.
The PDP Legislature Party, which met yesterday afternoon at Sayeed’s residence, unanimously elected him its leader.
"I would be calling on the state governor (Wednesday) afternoon with my alliance partners — Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress, Panther’s Party leader Bhim Singh, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) leader Yusuf Tarigami and independent candidates who support our coalition — to formally stake claim to form the new government," Sayeed told reporters.
He said the new government would be sworn in at the Sher-e-Kashmir convention complex in Srinagar city on Saturday and Congress President Sonia Gandhi was expected to attend the ceremony.
Meanwhile, suspected rebels shot dead nine people, including seven security force personnel, in Kashmir, where troops returned fire and killed seven rebels, police said yesterday.
