The first session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly begins on Monday, with veteran National Conference leader Abdul Rahim Rather elected as Speaker of the House.
According to the notification issued by Assembly Secretary Manoj Kumar Pandit, Minister for Agriculture, Rural Development, and Panchayati Raj, Javaid Ahmad Dar, will propose the motion for the Speaker’s election. The motion states, "Advocate Abdul Rahim Rather, a member of this House, be chosen as the Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly."
Rather previously served as Speaker in the former Jammu and Kashmir State Assembly and was also the Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2008 during the PDP-Congress coalition government. As per tradition, the Deputy Speaker’s post will go to the Opposition BJP. However, there is no clarity on whether the government and the Opposition have reached an understanding.
The Speaker's election will be followed by an address from Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
This inaugural session, the first for the newly elected Assembly in a decade, represents a significant moment for the Union Territory’s legislative process and is expected to include a series of important discussions.
According to the Assembly Secretariat, the session's calendar includes various key ceremonial and legislative activities.
The LG’s address will set the tone for discussions in the coming days, likely covering policy priorities and governance issues relevant to the region.
The following day will focus on obituary references for former Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) who have passed away since the last session of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, most recently BJP leader Devender Singh Rana, who was elected from the Nagrota assembly seat.
This will provide members with an opportunity to pay their respects and honour the contributions of these leaders. The next two days are reserved for an in-depth discussion on the Motion of Thanks regarding the LG's address.
This motion allows members to debate the points raised in the address, share their perspectives on the outlined policies and priorities, and bring forward issues that they believe should be addressed by the administration.
On the final day, the discussion on the Motion of Thanks will continue, with members expected to conclude their remarks. The LG's administration is anticipated to provide a formal reply, addressing the concerns raised during discussions and elaborating on its plans moving forward.
The session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly is expected to lay the groundwork for future legislative discussions and establish the tone for engagement between the members and the administration.