The ruling People's Democratic Party on Thursday night withdrew Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig from the council of ministers and also replaced him as the leader of the of the PDP legislature party.

The decision was taken at a hastily convened legislature party meeting that lasted for nearly three hours.

A spokesman of the PDP told this correspondent that the party has nominated senior party leader and state agriculture minister Abdul Aziz Zargar as the legislature party leader.

The PDP has also written a letter to the chief minister asking him to induct Zargar as the deputy chief minister in place of Baig.

The crisis came in the open this evening when the chief minister ignored the PDP advice to divest Baig of his high profile portfolios.