Mufti Mohammad Sayeed

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Biography

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is a politician from the state of Jammu and Kashmir who currently serves as the Chief Minister of J & K. He is the founder of Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party, represents the party right now and has previously affiliated to Indian National Congress and Janata Dal. This is the second tenure of Sayeed as the chief minister of J & K. He was elected for the first time in 2002 and was sworn in as the Chief Minister for a term of three years, in alliance with Indian National Congress. A coalition agreement between the BJP and the PDP in 2015 and he assumed office on March 1, 2015. He has also served as Home Minister of India for one year during the period - December 1989 to November 1990.

He was born in Baba Mohalla in Bijbehara town of district Anantnag in 1936. He graduated from S P College in Srinagar, and later completed Law and also post-graduate degree in Arab History from Aligarh Muslim University. Persuaded by his friends, he joined the Anantnag Bar Association and started practice in Law. In the late 1950s he came into contact with NC leader PL Handoo and that’s how he joined Democratic National Conference. He was appointed as the district convener of the newly founded DNC.

He contested Assembly elections from Bijbehara in 1962, and retained the seat in 1967. In 1972 he became a cabinet minister of Syed Mir Qasim and three years later became the leader of the Congress Legislature Party and Pradesh Congress president. In 1986, he became Union Tourism Minister in the Government headed by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and resigned one year later. He later joined the Jan Morcha led by VP Singhand then associated with Janata Party. He returned to state politics in 1996 and still now, associated with it.

Mufti has three children. His daughter Mehbooba Mufti currently serves as the president of the Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party. Another daughter Rubaiya was kidnapped in 1989 during Mufti’s term as home minister, and released later.

He passed away on Jan 07, 2016, after he was admitted to AIIMS, New Delhi.

Published: N/A

Updated: January 09, 2016