PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti shortly after meeting Governor NN Vohra in Jammu on Tuesday.
People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti today said she lacks "Mufti Saheb's goodwill and experience" referring to her father and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed who died last month.
The state has since been under President's rule with the PDP and its alliance partner, the BJP, yet to agree on the terms to form the government under a new chief minister. Ms Mufti was widely expected to fill that slot and though the BJP has said the PDP has the chief minister's post, she has kept the alliance partner waiting.
Today, making a public statement for the first time since her father's death, Ms Mufti said the Centre needs to spell out the confidence building measures it is going to implement in the state to fill-in for Mr Sayeed's absence.
"Mufti Saahb had his own goodwill because of which even if there were shortcomings in the last 10 months he was able to deliver a lot. Perhaps, I don't have that goodwill and experience," she said as she emerged from a meeting with Governor NN Vohra in Jammu.
The PDP president said her father was a rare chief minister who could go into "downtown Srinagar" and mingle with the people.
"Mufti Sahb used to say I haven't just joined hands with Modiji but with those crores of Indians who voted for him," she said.
Stressing that Mr Sayeed had forged the alliance despite the "inherent contradictions" between the PDP and the BJP, Ms Mufti said, "Today, it is not about the BJP and the PDP. It is about what we tell the people about fulfilling Mufti sahib's vision. We need measures to give the new government a fillip. We need confidence-building measures from the Centre."
Ms Mufti was expected to be sworn in as the first woman chief minister of the state at the end of the four-day mourning period after Mr Sayeed's death on January 7. She first put off the swearing in indefinitely and later on hardened her stance on partnering with the BJP.