Mehbooba Mufti Likely to Be Sworn-In As Kashmir Cm on Thursday

Srinagar, January 7 (IANS) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, the daughter of late chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, is likely to be sworn in as his successor on Thursday evening, sources said.

"Senior party leaders, Muzaffar Hussain Beigh and Altaf Bukhari have handed over a letter to Governor, N.N. Vohra through which the PDP has nominated Mehbooba Mufti as the leader of its legislature party in the state.

"The letter has requested the governor to administer oath of office to Ms Mehbooba today (Thursday) evening after the last rites of Mufti Sayeed are completed," PDP sources told IANS.

The governor can now decide to administer the oath of office to Mehbooba Mufti as the acting chief minister and ask her to prove her majority on the floor of the assembly within 15 days.

Mehbooba Mufti is presently a member of the Lok Sabha from the state's Anantnag as per constitutional norms, will have to either get elected to the assembly within six months or get nominated to the legislative council within the same period.

Once sworn in, she would be the first woman chief minister of country's only Muslim majority state.