NC, Congress legislature parties meet to chalk out strategy for maiden J-K assembly session

The joint meeting is also likely to finalise the nominee for the speaker's post. NC's Abdul Rahim Rather set to be elected the Jammu-Kashmir assembly speaker on Monday

Senior NC leader Abdul Rahim Rather
Senior NC leader Abdul Rahim Rather
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PTI

A joint meeting of the legislature parties of the National Conference and alliance partner Congress to chalk out a strategy for the maiden session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly began on Sunday.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was among those present at the meeting, which started at 7:30 pm.

The joint meeting is also likely to finalise the nominee for the speaker's post.

Earlier, the two parties held separate meetings of their respective legislature parties.

The legislative assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is scheduled to meet for a five-day session from Monday.

According to the provisional calendar for the session issued by the Assembly Secretariat, the House will elect the speaker during the first sitting on Monday.

The House will meet after a gap of more than six years, with the last session held in early 2018 -- a year before the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories.

NC's Abdul Rahim Rather set to become JK Assembly speaker

Veteran National Conference leader and seven-time MLA from Charar-e-Sharief Abdul Rahim Rather is set to become the first speaker of the legislative assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which is scheduled to meet for a five-day session on Monday.

According to the List of Business issued by the Assembly Secretariat, the House will elect the speaker in the first sitting on Monday.

Minister for Agriculture Javed Ahmad Dar is scheduled to move Rather's name for the post of speaker, while MLA Arjun Singh Raju will second the motion.

Earlier, sources in the National Conference had said the 80-year-old is most likely to be the party's candidate for the post.

"We are comfortably placed as the treasury benches have the numbers. As of now, Rather sahib is all set to be the speaker of the legislative assembly," an NC leader said on the condition of anonymity.

Rather had earlier held the post of the speaker in the legislative assembly of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. He was also the leader of the opposition from 2002 to 2008 when the PDP-Congress coalition government ruled the state.

During a meeting of its legislature party held on Sunday, the BJP nominated Narinder Singh Raina as its candidate for the post of deputy speaker.

While the BJP has not named a candidate for the speaker's post, it was not clear if the government and the opposition have reached an informal understanding on these key posts in the assembly.

The House will meet after a gap of more than six years on Monday, with the last session held in early 2018, a year before the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.

Stringent security measures have been put in place for the assembly session. According to the calendar for sittings of the House, the speaker's election on Monday will be followed by the lieutenant governor's address.

Obituary references will be made on November 5 and discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the LG's address will be taken up on November 6 and 7, it showed.

The reply to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks will be taken up on November 8, an official spokesperson said.

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Published: 03 Nov 2024, 8:29 PM