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Basharat Peer in Srinagar
Congress leaders in Kashmir have indicated that the party may leave the chief minister's post to People's Democratic Party leader Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.
"Today [Monday] we are electing the leader of our party in the legislature. Some senior leaders, including R K Dhawan, Ahmad Patel and Dr Manmohan Singh are coming here. So is party state chief Ghulam Nabi Azad," said a Congress legislator.
"There is a strong chance that Ghulam Nabi Azad will not be the party leader in the legislature. The leaders from Delhi are coming with this message and we have received indications that Mufti Mohammed Sayeed will be the chief minister," he said.
Mangat Ram Sharma from Jammu and Peerzada Mohammed Syed from the valley are believed to be frontrunners for the post of the leader of the Congress in the legislature.
Although the Congress has 20 MLAs as against the PDP's 16 and has claimed the support of 10 independents, sources say Azad is reluctant to stick to state politics.
"By becoming the J&K chief minister, he will be caught in local politics. He will prefer to be a big player at the national level," another Congress leader said.
It is also believed that going back to New Delhi after having boosted the Congress' fortunes in the state will increase Azad's stature.
Also, in the faction-ridden state unit, many local leaders want to see him out.
"If Azad becomes the chief minister, the second line of important portfolios would go to the PDP. If Mufti becomes the CM, the various contenders to the no 2 position in the state Congress would get plum portfolios," another Congress legislator said.
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