Srinagar: After months of speculations and power tussle, Peoples Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti will be sworn is an the first woman chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. The 56-year-old will take oath at 11 AM.
From being an understudy to her late father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to taking over as the chief minister, Mehbooba has completed a full circle in her life.
Politics was not her cup of tea for initially but a broken marriage rather forced her into it. Her father's larger than life presence and guidance have gone a long way in turning Mehbooba into a suave no non-sense politician.
A single mother of two, she may have started off as a reluctant politician but she was quick to adapt to the hurly-burly of politics.
When asked her about being the first woman chief minster of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba said, "It is very wrong on your part to differentiate between a man and woman. What is there about a man that is not in a woman. Don't bring this comparison please. This is discrimination."
Mehbooba started off in 1996 by winning hometown Bijbehera seat on Congress ticket. Three years later, the PDP was formed quickly emerging as an alternate to National Conference. But it is the recent stand she took to 'renegotiate' agenda of alliance with BJP that has won her applause in valley and brickbats outside.
As the first woman chief minister of the sensitive state, Mehbooba would have to walk with extreme caution to make the diverse PDP and BJP alliance into one strong entity. And that is a tough test she faces hereon.
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