Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister-designate Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was today unanimously elected the People’s Democratic Party’s Legislature Party leader, here. He was elected by the 16-member PDP legislators and senior party functionaries at the Nowgam party office. This would ensure that he stays the CM for six months even though he is not an elected member of the Assembly. He will have to seek his candidature as an Assembly member by contesting election or being nominated as a Legislative Council member.Speaking to mediapersons later, Mufti reiterated the PDP’s promise of revoking POTA and disbanding the Special Operation Group of Police to provide ‘‘succour to the people who have been pushed to the wall for the past many years.’’ ‘‘The common minimum programme will take care of the people’s apprehensions,’’ he said.‘‘People’s expectations are high. I pray to God to give me courage to come up to the expectations of people,’’ he said. He said people representing the Assembly and outside it would hold dialogue to solve the problem.Calling the state a miniature India, Mufti pledged to work for the equitable development of the Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions. He assured there would be no regional or religious bias and problems of all the three regions would be redressed on merit.Meanwhile, coalition partner Congress intends to give a rousing reception to state president Ghulam Nabi Azad. Azad would be driven down to the M.A. Road headquarters from the Srinagar airport in a rally. He would later address the party workers meeting.
