Mufti Sayeed dead, Mehbooba to succeed as CM

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who crafted an impossible coalition with BJP in the Muslim-majority state, died today and just hours later his party PDP chose his daughter Mehbooba Mufti as his successor.
Sayeed, 79, breathed his last at AIIMS this morning after remaining on ventilator for the past few days.
A Congressman till 1987, Sayeed left the party and joined the ranks of V P Singh to become the only Muslim Home Minister of India when he was inducted into the cabinet of the National Front government in 1989.
Sayeed, who was Chief Minister from 2002 to 2005 in coalition with Congress, played a leading part in PDP and BJP coming together to form a coalition that helped the saffron party share power for the first time in the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid glowing tributes to Sayeed and offered homage to him at the technical area of the Palam airport before the body was flown to Srinagar in an air force plane.
"Mufti Sahab provided a healing touch to J&K through his leadership. What stood out about Mufti Sahab was his statesmanship. In his long political journey he won many admirers across the political spectrum," said Modi.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh was deputed by the prime minister to represent the Centre in the funeral.
Draped in the national tricolour and the red-and-white flag of the state, the coffin was later taken from his official residence in Srinagar to the ancestral graveyard in Anantnag.

He was given a state funeral before being laid to rest with full state honours as thousands of his admirers and party activists paid him homage.
Former chief ministers of the state--Omar Abdullah and
Ghulam Nabi Azad--were among those who attended the funeral prayers which were led by Sayeed's trusted aide, Education Minister Naeem Akhtar.
The two opposition leaders and Sayeed's son Mufti Tassaduq were among those who carried the coffin on their shoulders for the last rites.
Rajnath Singh and state Governor N N Vohra were among those who visited the bereaved family at its Gupkar residence to offer condolences.

Hours after the death, MLAs of the 28-member PDP legislature party unanimously elected Mehbooba as their leader and a delegation met the Governor in the Raj Bhavan and handed over a letter backing the claim of the 56-year-old Mehbooba to take over as the 13th Chief Minister of the state.
The smooth succession of power was possible with coalition partner BJP giving clear signals that it had no objection to Mufti's daughter taking over the reins of power, contrary to earlier speculation that the saffron party may have some reservations.
It was not clear when she would be sworn in. "It will follow in due course of time as we are still in the process of performing last rites of our beloved leader," a PDP leader said.

Earlier, the Union Cabinet met and condoled the death of Mufti Sayeed and observed two minutes silence as a mark of respect to his memory.
The Central Government also announced that the national flag will be flown half-mast today across the country as a mark of respect to the departed leader.
The Cabinet adopted a resolution was passed which said in the passing away of Sayeed, the nation has lost an eminent and distinguished leader, a true nationalist and a stalwart from Jammu and Kashmir.
The Cabinet also extended its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.