J&K Assembly’s 1st session likely to be held on 4 Nov in Srinagar

SRINAGAR: The first session of the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory’s first Legislative Assembly is likely to be held in Srinagar on the 4th of November.
Highly placed authoritative sources revealed to NEWS NOW that all arrangements were being put in place to hold the 90-member Assembly’s first session in Srinagar on the 4th of November—following the Diwali festival holiday of the 1st of November.
“Most of the Jammu MLAs and Ministers are expected to celebrate Diwali with their families, friends and party colleagues in Jammu on Friday (1 November), Saturday and Sunday. They would be returning to Srinagar on Sunday (3 November). So, the 4th of November is going to be the most appropriate date for the maiden session”, said a top ranking official.
According to this official, it would be a limited business session which would run for just one or two days. “LG’s address to be followed by 50 obituary references is on cards. The members would pay tributes to 50 former legislators, including ex-MLAs, ex-MLCs, ex-Ministers, ex-MPs who passed away since the last session of the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislative Assembly ended in 2018”, said the official.
Since the oath-taking business will be conducted on 21 October, the Assembly will have enough time to speak on the LG’s address and to pay tributes to the deceased legislators.
National Conference’s senior leader Mubarak Gul, who has been elected MLA from Srinagar’s Eidgah constituency for the 7th successive term early this month, would be sworn in as Speaker Protem by LG Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhawan in Srinagar on Saturday. In Omar Abdullah’s National Conference-Congress government in 2009-2014, Gul functioned as Chief Minister’s Advisor, holding the rank of a Cabinet Minister. Later, he replaced Mohammad Akbar as Speaker. Gul, who contested his first election from Eidgah in 1983, has never lost.
According to LG’s order, Gul would continue to function as Speaker till the election of a permanent Speaker. However, well-placed sources insist that Mubarak Gul would be elected as permanent Speaker. They did not endorse some media reports that the senior NC leader and former high profile Finance Minister Abdul Rahim, who has also been returned for his 7th successive term for the Assembly from his home constituency of Chrar-e-Sharief , would be the Speaker.

Updated On 10/19/2024 1:05:37 AM

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