Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed passed away on Thursday. In a political career spanning nearly six decades, Sayeed was a key player in many historic developments in not only Jammu and Kashmir but also at national level.
He had the distinction of being the key player on all six occasions when Governor’s Rule was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir. A staunch Congressman for most of his political life, he joined hands with anti-corruption crusader V P Singh in 1989 Lok Sabha elections to rise to the post of Union Home Minister. He is still the only Muslim to have held the post since Independence.
Early Career
Born in Baba Mohalla of Bijbehara in Anantnag district on January 12, 1936, Sayeed had his early education from a local school and later graduated from S P College Srinagar. He went on to obtain a law degree and Master’s degree in Arab History from Aligarh Muslim University.
Besides starting law practice in local courts, Sayeed jumped into politics at a young age joining Democratic National Conference, formed by G M Sadiq in late 1950s. Sadiq, recognising the potential of the young lawyer, appointed him as the District Convenor of the party.
In 1962, Sayeed was elected from Bijbehara to the state legislative assembly, which he retained five years later. He was appointed as Deputy Minister by Sadiq, who by then had become the chief minister of the state.
However, he fell out with the party few years later and joined the Indian National Congress – a courageous decision at that time given that Kashmiris were still vociferous in their support to Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, who was in jail.
Chief Ministerial Ambitions
Sayeed, considered to be a fine organiser and administrator, ensured that Congress not only got foothold in the valley but created pockets of staunch support for the party.
In 1972, he became a Cabinet Minster and also Congress party’s leader in the Legislative Council. He was made the president of Pradesh Congress Committee couple of years later.
Given his quick rise within party ranks, Sayeed saw himself as the next Chief Minister of the state. However, these hopes were dashed when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi entered into an accord with Abdullah and handed him the post of the chief minister in February 1975, much against the wishes of Congress workers on the ground in general and Sayeed in particular.
Sayeed Was A Key Player Whenever Governor’s Rule Was Imposed In J&K
Sayeed engineered a coup of sorts ahead of the 1977 elections as Congress withdrew support to Abdullah’s government. The aim was to have a Congress Chief Minister – which would have been Sayeed – in place for elections to control the official machinery but Governor L K Jha imposed Governor’s Rule in the state. It was the first time that Governor’s Rule was imposed in the state.
The results of 1977 Assembly elections all but killed Sayeed’s dream of becoming the Chief Minister as Abdullah’s National Conference came to power with a thumping majority.
Sayeed was a key player when Governor’s Rule was imposed for the second time in the state in 1986. National Conference and Abdullahs have privately held the south Kashmir man responsible for the intra-party rebellion against and subsequent dismissal of Farooq
Abdullah by Governor Jagmohan Malhotra in 1984.
The power tussle between Farooq and his brother-in-law G M Shah led to permanent estrangement of these relatives; and also saw Shah becoming the Chief Minister with the support of Congress. However, Shah’s tenure also did not last long as Congress headed by Sayeed withdrew support to his government.
When militancy broke out in Kashmir, Sayeed had become the Union Home Minister and appointed Jagmohan Malhotra as Governor of the state. The move was resisted by Farooq Abdullah but in vain. Abdullah resigned in protest and the state came under Governor Rule again.
While Governor’s Rule in 2002 and 2014 in the state was necessitated due to Sayeed taking time to thrash out a coalition with Congress and BJP respectively, it was manoeuvrings of the shrewd politician that saw a democratically elected government give way to administration by the Raj Bhawan in 2008.
Sayeed’s PDP withdrew support to coalition government headed by Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad in July 2008 following widespread protests over the Amarnath land allotment.
National Politics
Sayeed’s stay in national politics was relatively short. As Farooq Abdullah warmed up to Rajiv Gandhi in 1986 to ensure his return as Chief Minister, ahead of the 1987 assembly elections, Sayeed was shifted to Delhi and appointed as the Union Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation by the then Prime Minister.
He quit as tourism minister in 1987, left the Congress and co-founded Jan Morcha with V.P. Singh. In 1989, he won the Lok Sabha election from Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh as a Janata Dal candidate and became the Union Home Minister in V P Singh’s cabinet.
Although his tenure as Home Minister was just one year, it was dogged by a controversy at the outset. Within days off being sworn in, Sayeed’s third daughter – Rubaiya – was kidnapped by JKLF militants demanding release of their five colleagues. She was freed only after the Central Government freed five the prisoners.
Towards the end of P V Narsimha Rao’s tenure as Prime Minister, Sayeed returned to Congress party along with his daughter Mehbooba Mufti. Sayeed won the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in 1998 general elections while Mehbooba became Congress MLA winning 1996 assembly elections.
Forming PDP
With his dream of becoming Chief Minister of the state still unfulfilled, Sayeed parted ways with Congress and floated a regional outfit – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – in 1999. Some of the things associated with the PDP are considered masterstrokes of Sayeed’s
political genius.
The Green flag and Pen-inkpot election symbol of the PDP were lifted straight from the Muslim United Front (MUF) – the Jamaat-e-Islami-led conglomerate of anti-National Conference, anti-Congress parties in 1987 assembly elections. MUF was miles ahead of National Conference in public perception in the valley but had only four seats to show for it. The party symbols found ready acceptance in the valley as the PDP made significant gains and won 16 seats in the 2002 assembly elections. Although way short of majority in the 87-member house, Sayeed managed to bargain with Congress a three-year stint as the
Chief Minister on rotational basis.