Mehbooba Mufti's swearing-in delayed as governor back in Jammu

Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra returned here on Thursday evening, indicating that the oath-taking ceremony of Mehbooba Mufti as chief minister was likely to be delayed.

"The governor has returned to Jammu after paying condolences to the family of chief minister, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed in Srinagar on Thursday," Raj Bhawan sources told IANS here.

With Vohra's arrival in Jammu, it is unlikely that Mehbooba Mufti would be administered the oath as chief minister of the state on Thursday.

Earlier, two senior leaders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, Muzaffar Hussain Beigh and Altaf Bukhari had called on Vohra in Srinagar to submit a letter from the PDP nominating Mehbooba Mufti as the new leader of their legislature party.

They had requested Vohra to swear in her as chief minister on Thursday.

"If delayed today (Thursday), the swearing in can take place tomorrow (Friday)," said a senior PDP leader who also confirmed that the Bharatiya Janata Party which is the alliance partner of the PDP was on board when it was decided that Mehbooba Mufti should replace her father after his death.

According to the state constitution, after Sayeed's death, a new chief minister has to be sworn in to run the affairs of the state.