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Congress condoles Mufti's death, says Mehbooba's succession no issue

by IBNS 07 Jan 2016, 10:20 am

New Delhi, Jan 7 (IBNS) The Congress on Thursday expressed shock at the death of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and said it has "no issue" if the departed leader's daughter Mehbooba takes over the mantle.

"It is a shocking news that  Mufti is no more," Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir told IBNS.

Paying tributes to Mufti, Mir said he had played an important role during talks with India and Pakistan. "It is  hardly possible that kashmir will get another Mufti," he said.

Mir said the Congress had helped Mufti a lot in 2008, "but unfortunately his government  could not stand because of turmoil."

On the question of  Mufti's succession, Mit said, "it is not good to talk on this issue as we lost Mufti some hours ago."

"But if the PDP thinks that Mehbooba is good for becoming  CM, then congress has no issue," he added. 

 Mufti Mohammad Sayeed passed away at AIIMS in New Delhi on Thursday at age 79, succumbing to a lung infection. 

Media reports said his daughter Mehbooba Mufti, who is now the president of the People's Democratic Party (PDP),  will take over as the Chief Minister of the state on Monday after a swearing-in ceremony, thus becoming the first woman chief minister of the trouble-torn state where presently PDP is running the government with the BJP as its ally.