Mehbooba Mufti
Encyclopedia
Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed is the president of the Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party. She is the daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir
chief minister
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and his wife Gulshan Nazir. She was a member of the 14th Lok Sabha
, representing the Anantnag
constituency of Jammu and Kashmir
.
After earning her law degree from the University of Kashmir
, she remained uninvolved in public life during the late 1980s while bringing up two infant daughters, Iltija and Irtiqa. She later separated from her husband, who went on to pursue his political career, even contesting a number of elections against her.
When elections for the state assembly were held in 1996, Mehbooba became one of the most popular members - elected from Bijbehara
on an Indian National Congress
ticket. Her father had at that time returned to the Congress, which he had left in 1987, angry at the alliance that party had formed with its traditional rival in the state, the National Conference
. Mehbooba quickly made a mark as the leader of the opposition
in the assembly, taking on the government of then chief minister Farooq Abdullah
with asperity.
Mehbooba is one of the few female politicians from Kashmir who is recognized across all India. So high was her public profile that, when Mufti split from the Indian National Congress
to form the Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party in 1999, many thought she would be the party president. She deferred to her father's experience, however, and became party vice-president. She resigned her assembly seat and went on to contest the parliamentary elections in 1999 from Srinagar
, where she lost to the sitting member Omar Abdullah
but won the Pahalgam seat in the state assembly from south Kashmir, defeating Rafi Ahmed Mir, when assembly elections were held again in 2002. She was elected to the Lok Sabha
in 2004 and was a prominent member of the ruling Congress Party
-led coalition. She is known for provoking anti-India sentiments in kashmir
.
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
chief minister
Chief Minister
A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and his wife Gulshan Nazir. She was a member of the 14th Lok Sabha
14th Lok Sabha
The 14th Lok Sabha was convened after the Indian general election, 2004 held in four phases during 20 April – 10 May 2004, which led to the formation of First Manmohan Singh Cabinet...
, representing the Anantnag
Anantnag (Lok Sabha Constituency)
Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency is one of the six Lok Sabha constituencies in Jammu & Kashmir state in northern India.-Assembly segments:Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency is composed of the following assembly segments:...
constituency of Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
.
After earning her law degree from the University of Kashmir
University of Kashmir
-Faculties/Departments:* Arts** Department of Arabic** Department of Urdu** Department of English** Department of Kashmiri** Department of Foreign Languages** Department of Library and Information Science** Department of Linguistics...
, she remained uninvolved in public life during the late 1980s while bringing up two infant daughters, Iltija and Irtiqa. She later separated from her husband, who went on to pursue his political career, even contesting a number of elections against her.
When elections for the state assembly were held in 1996, Mehbooba became one of the most popular members - elected from Bijbehara
Bijbehara
Bijbiāra , also known as Bijbehara, Vejibyor and Vejibyōr, is a town and a notified area committee in Anantnag district in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, India.-Geography:Bijbehara is located at...
on an Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
ticket. Her father had at that time returned to the Congress, which he had left in 1987, angry at the alliance that party had formed with its traditional rival in the state, the National Conference
Jammu & Kashmir National Conference
The Jammu & Kashmir National Conference is a State political party in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Led at the time of Indian Independence in 1947 by Sheikh Abdullah, it dominated electoral politics in the state for many decades...
. Mehbooba quickly made a mark as the leader of the opposition
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest party not in government in a Westminster System of parliamentary government...
in the assembly, taking on the government of then chief minister Farooq Abdullah
Farooq Abdullah
Farooq Abdullah , born 21 October 1937 in Soura, Jammu & Kashmir, India), is the son of Sheikh Abdullah, is a doctor of medicine and has served as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir on several occasions since 1982. He is married to Molly, a nurse of British origin...
with asperity.
Mehbooba is one of the few female politicians from Kashmir who is recognized across all India. So high was her public profile that, when Mufti split from the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
to form the Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party in 1999, many thought she would be the party president. She deferred to her father's experience, however, and became party vice-president. She resigned her assembly seat and went on to contest the parliamentary elections in 1999 from Srinagar
Srinagar
Srinagar is the summer seasonal capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. It is one of the largest cities in India not to have a Hindu majority. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats...
, where she lost to the sitting member Omar Abdullah
Omar Abdullah
Omar Abdullah , born 10 March 1970 in United Kingdom, is an Indian Kashmiri politician and the scion of Kashmir's 'first family', the Abdullah family who became the 11th and the youngest Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir after forming a government in coalition with the Congress party, on...
but won the Pahalgam seat in the state assembly from south Kashmir, defeating Rafi Ahmed Mir, when assembly elections were held again in 2002. She was elected to the Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
in 2004 and was a prominent member of the ruling Congress Party
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
-led coalition. She is known for provoking anti-India sentiments in kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
.