)
People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took oath as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir at the General Zorawar Singh Auditorium in Jammu on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the oath taking ceremony, which saw the swearing in of 12 members each from the PDP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
While the Mufti will retain the chief minister's chair for the full six-year term, Nirmal Singh of the BJP will be deputy CM. Both coalition partners will share the post of the assembly speaker and legislative council chairperson.
A multi-tier security has been put in place for the swearing-in ceremony at General Zorawar Singh Auditorium of Jammu University. The venue has been made out of bounds for the public and sanitation operation with metal detectors and sniffer dogs have been launched. A Special Protection Group taskforce had reached Jammu well in advance for the function.
Negotiations between PDP and BJP dwelt largely on Article 370, under which J&K enjoys special status, and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, os AFSPA, which gives sweeping powers to military forces in the state.
It might be recalled that the Mufti had declined support from the Congress and the National Conference to form the government in J&K, in a clear indication of his intention to forge an alliance with the Saffron party instead.
