Time for Sayeed's daughter to take over?

The internal dynamics of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have largely gone unnoticed in the midst of the shadow-boxing between India and Pakistan over their national security advisor-level talks. On Friday, reports in the media, quoting unnamed sources, claimed that PDP President Mehbooba Mufti was upset with the Jammu and Kashmir Police for placing Hurriyat leaders under house arrest acting on orders from New Delhi. Reports also suggested that Mehbooba, daughter of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, ensured that the Hurriyat leaders were released within a few hours. Incidentally, the CM is also the home minister in the government that PDP runs in coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The episode projected Mehbooba, a Lok Sabha MP from Anantnag, as a strong leader willing to take on even her party's alliance partner, the BJP, as well as the government in New Delhi. Party sources have started talking about how it was time for Mehbooba to take over the mantle from her father, who turns 80 in January next year.