In a significant development for Jammu and Kashmir, senior National Conference (NC) leader and former minister Abdul Rahim Rather was elected as the Speaker of the newly convened Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. This marks the first assembly session for the Union Territory in six years, held at the assembly complex in Srinagar.
Javid Ahmed Dar, Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, and Cooperatives, moved the motion to appoint Rather as Speaker of the 90-member house. Following his election, Rather was ceremonially escorted to the Speaker’s chair by Omar Abdullah, Leader of the House and Chief Minister, and Sunil Sharma of the BJP, who leads the opposition.
A seasoned politician, Rather has previously served as the Speaker in the legislative assembly of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. He also held the position of Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2008 during the tenure of the PDP-Congress coalition government.
The assembly session, scheduled to run for five days, comes at a critical time, with high expectations surrounding a resolution to be introduced by the NC regarding Article 370. This article granted special autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir, a provision abrogated by the Union government in August 2019. The abrogation was accompanied by a restructuring of the state into two Union Territories—Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Resolution on Article 370 to Register Protest
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also serves as NC vice president, has pledged to address the issue of Article 370 in this inaugural session, aiming to formally record the assembly’s disapproval of the central government’s actions. The National Conference, in alliance with the Congress, holds a majority in the house, controlling 55 out of the 90 seats, following the recent assembly elections held in September and October.
The assembly’s first session since the 2014 elections opened today with a scheduled address by the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, at 11:30 a.m. In addition to the anticipated debate on Article 370, the session’s agenda includes obituary references for former legislators who passed away since the last sitting of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
Agenda Highlights and Scheduled Discussions
Following today’s proceedings, the assembly will convene on November 6 and 7 to discuss the Motion of Thanks for the Lieutenant Governor’s address. The assembly session is expected to conclude on November 8.
This assembly session marks an important step for Jammu and Kashmir as its legislative body resumes after a decade-long gap, during which it was under President’s Rule from 2018 until the recent elections. The debates and resolutions of this session are anticipated to have a significant impact on Jammu and Kashmir’s future, particularly in relation to its unique political standing within India.
The Chenab Times News Desk