PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti is understood to have refused to take oath as her family was still in the customary four-day Muslim mourning period following Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's death yesterday.
Questioning the BJP's stand on government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah today said PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti should be given time to mourn the death of her father.
Mr Abdullah's comments have come against the backdrop of a meet of BJP legislators with party's general secretary Ram Madhav today.
Mr Madhav also met Ms Mehbooba Mufti in Srinagar today and discussed government formation, besides condoling the death of former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Interestingly, PDP legislators have already written a letter to the Governor backing party president Mehbooba Mufti to succeed Mr Sayeed as chief minister of the state.
"Why is BJP forcing this uncertainty on the state? Mehbooba, understandably, needs time to grieve but these guys?" Mr Abdullah wrote on Twitter soon after BJP general secretary Ram Madhav chaired a meeting of party legislators in Srinagar.
Speculations were rife that Ms Mehbooba Mufti would be sworn in as the Chief Minister today as Mr Madhav was scheduled to fly in Srinagar from Delhi early in the morning.
However, Ms Mehbooba is understood to have refused to take oath as her family was still in the customary four-day Muslim mourning period following Mr Sayeed's death yesterday.
BJP state president Sat Sharma told reporters after the meeting that the party legislators did not discuss the government formation today.
"We will take it up after the fourth day of mourning," he added.