Mufti Mohammad Sayeed sworn in as J&K CM
Srinagar, March 1: Ending 49-days of Governor's rule, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed was sworn in as the new chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir on March 1, Sunday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
79-year-old PDP patron will be heading a coalition government in the state for the second time. He was administered oath of office by Governor N N Vohra.
[Profile: Who is Mufti Mohammad Sayeed?]
BJP leader Nirmal Singh took oath as the state Deputy CM.
Modi arrived on Sunday morning to attend the swearing-in ceremony at the General Zorawar Singh Auditorium of Jammu University.
BJP president Amit Shah, union ministers including Home Minister Rajnath Singh, senior BJP leaders L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi and chief ministers of neighbouring Haryana and Punjab attended the ceremony, that was held at 11.00 am.
[Sajad Lone rushes to Jammu to be sworn in as minister]
Modi and Sayeed are expected to address a joint press conference, and the common minimum programme between the two parties will be released.
Sayeed's party and the BJP with 28 and 25 members, respectively, in the 87-member assembly, took over two months after the elections in the state to stitch an alliance.
After leaders of both parties worked out the details of the common minimum programme, a meeting of Sayeed and Modi sealed the deal.
As per the terms of the alliance, Sayeed would be the chief minister for the full six-year term, while Nirmal Singh of the BJP would be the deputy chief minister.
As per the constitution, Jammu and Kashmir cannot have a council of ministers more than 25, excluding the chief minister.
Security was tightened around Jammu University and the venue inside the university has been taken over by the Special Protection Group (SPG).
All entry points into Jammu city were sealed and barricades put up at many places. No vehicle is being allowed to enter the city without checking by specially trained squads and without thorough frisking of the occupants.
In 2002, he led a PDP-Congress alliance and was chief minister for three years. He later handed over the chief minister's mantle to Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress as per the terms of the alliance.
After 14 years, Sayeed will be heading another ruling alliance, this time with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Omar congratulates Mufti Mohammed Sayeed on becoming J-K CM
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today congratulated Mufti Mohammed Sayeed on succeeding him as the head of the state government.
"Congratulations to Mufti Mohd Sayeed Sb (sic) on assuming the office of CM of J&K. I wish you all the very best for your term as CM," Omar wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.
Congratulations
to
Mufti
Mohd
Syed
Sb
on
assuming
the
office
of
CM
of
J&K.
I
wish
you
all
the
very
best
for
your
term
as
CM.
—
Omar
Abdullah
(@abdullah_omar)
March
1,
2015
Jammu
(J&K):
PDP
patron
Mufti
Mohammad
Sayeed
taking
oath
as
the
state
Chief
Minister.
pic.twitter.com/BZYld2i7V6
—
ANI
(@ANI_news)
March
1,
2015
Jammu
(J&K):
BJP
leader
Nirmal
Singh
takes
oath
as
the
state
Deputy
CM.
pic.twitter.com/kKLQl5Mxv6
—
ANI
(@ANI_news)
March
1,
2015
Jammu
(J&K):
PM
Narendra
Modi
congratulates
the
new
CM
of
J&K,
Mufti
Mohammad
Sayeed.
pic.twitter.com/ljMegfsQYh
—
ANI
(@ANI_news)
March
1,
2015
OneIndia News
(With agency inputs)