Veteran National Conference (NC) leader and seven-time MLA Abdul Rahim Rather is poised to become the new speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. The Deputy speaker's post will go to the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, as is the practice.
With 29 members in the 90-member assembly, the BJP is the second-largest party after the NC, which won 42 seats in the first election in a decade in Jammu and Kashmir, giving it the authority to appoint a speaker of its choice. Allowing the BJP to hold the deputy speaker's post reflects the NC's strategic approach to ensuring smooth legislative proceedings.
Rather brings extensive experience, having held crucial portfolios, including finance. He also served as opposition leader during the PDP-Congress coalition between January 2015 and June 2018.
Another senior NC leader, Mubarak Gul, who served as speaker during the NC-PDP coalition government, was sworn in as pro-tem speaker by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on October 19. Gul will administer the oath to the newly elected MLAs.
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The NC allied with Congress in the election, with Congress securing six seats, bringing the alliance to a total of 48 seats — enough for a majority after five additional MLAs were nominated, including two women, two from migrant Kashmiri Pandits, and one from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir refugees (POJKR).
The NC also gained support from five independent MLAs and one AAP MLA. One of the independent MLAs, Satish Sharma, who defeated both BJP and Congress candidates in the Chamb constituency in Jammu, has been inducted into the cabinet by the Omar Abdullah-led coalition government. Omar has also appointed Surinder Chaudhary as deputy chief minister and Javid Rana as minister to give adequate representation to the Jammu region in the government. Both Chaudhary and Rana are from NC and defeated BJP state president Ravinder Raina from Nowshera and Murtaza Khan from Mendhar respectively.
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Although Congress chose not to join the government, it is unlikely to oppose the NC's decision to offer the deputy speaker role to the BJP. This plan paves the way for a stable assembly, with the first session expected in the first week of November.
After the elected members are sworn in, Jammu and Kashmir will send four MPs to the Rajya Sabha. The NC will secure three seats, while the BJP will get one, based on the strength of the two parties in the assembly.
The NC has decided to send its party president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah to the Rajya Sabha. Two other likely candidates are Sajad Kitchloo, a two-time MLA from Kishtwar who lost to BJP’s Shagun Parihar by fewer than 600 votes, and Ajay Sadhotra, who also lost to a BJP candidate in Jammu North.