Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who crafted an impossible alliance with BJP helping it share power for the first time in the Muslim majority state, died here today after a brief illness.
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 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 the first ever coalition involving the saffron party in the state.
Sayeed’s daughter 56-year-old Mehbooba is expected to take over as the first woman Chief Minister of the state with PDP leaders throwing their weight behind her. But this will require the approval of BJP.
The mortal remains of Sayeed were flown in a special Indian Air Force plane to Srinagar and are likely to be buried at his ancestral village in Bijbehara in South Kashmir.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh paid tributes to Sayeed at the Palam technical area before the body was flown to Srinagar.
The Central Government announced that the national flag will be flown half-mast today across the country as a mark of respect to the departed leader, who has also been accorded a state funeral. .
