Congress, NC to stay away from Mufti swearing-in on Sunday

Jammu: Congress and National Conference (NC), the erstwhile ruling alliance in Jammu and Kashmir, are likely to "stay away" from Sunday's swearing-in ceremony of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed-led PDP-BJP government in the state.

"We are going to stay away from the ceremony tomorrow," a senior Congress leader said on the condition of anoymity, adding no senior leader of the party was also coming to attend the ceremony from Delhi.

According to sources in National Conference, which ruled the state for six years with Congress, the party leadership is also likely to "abstain" from the ceremony which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Several other top BJP leaders are also expected to attend the ceremony, which will herald first-ever BJP government in the only Muslim-majority state of the country.

The lone CPI-M MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami is also likely to stay away from the function.