J&K Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed dies

Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed passed away of multiple organ failure in New Delhi on Thursday morning after nearly a week long hospitalisation. He was 78.

Mr Sayeed, a two time chief minister of the state had started his second tenure on March 1st, 2015 in alliance with the BJP, after having led the state government between 2003-05 previously. He was the founder of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic



Party (JKPDP) that he founded in 1999 to persuade "the Indian government into an unconditional dialogue with the Kashmiri people."

In a long career in politics, Mr Sayeed was a Congressman till 1987, and had been minister for tourism in the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1986, after which he joined former Prime Minister V P Singh's National Front government as India's home minister. His short stint there (1989-90) was marred by the kidnapping by Kashmiri militants, of his daughter Rubaiyya Sayeed.

Mr Sayeed's other daughter Mehbooba Mufti is considered his political heir, and through his illness there has been talk of her succeeding to the chief minister's chair in Jammu and Kashmir.