Senior National Conference leader and former minister Abdul Rahim Rather was elected speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, which convened in Srinagar on Monday, November 4, for its first session in six years.

The Union Territory’s Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, and Cooperatives, Javid Ahmed Dar, moved the motion to elect Rather as the speaker of the 90-member house.

After his election, Rather was escorted to the chair by the Leader of the House, Omar Abdullah, and BJP’s Sunil Sharma, the Leader of the Opposition.

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.

All eyes will be on the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha‘s address scheduled at 11:30 am. The session will continue for 5 days.

All eyes on Article 370 resolution

The NC, which won the UT’s assembly polls in alliance with the Congress party, is expected to move a resolution on Article 370 to ‘register a protest against the Centre’s measures taken on August 5, 2019’.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government’s move in 2019 not only abrogated the special provision but also split the erstwhile state into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, also NC vice president, had pledged to bring a resolution on Article 370 in the Assembly in its first session.

The NC has the support of 55 MLAs in the 90-member Assembly, which was elected in September-October after a 10-year gap. Jammu and Kashmir was under the President’s rule from 2018 until the latest assembly elections.

Abdul Rahim Rather’s election as Speaker symbolizes a new chapter in Jammu and Kashmir’s legislative history.

The Assembly’s first session started on November 4 and will conclude on November 8. Besides the L-G address, obituary references for former legislators who passed away since the last session of the erstwhile J&K Assembly are also scheduled to be taken up.

As per the schedule, the Motion of Thanks on the L-G’s address will be discussed on November 6 and 7.