Top leaders from NC, BJP, Congress, PDP, PC, and CPM have been invited.
*Opposition support will be solicited for seamless proceedings.
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 22: With expectations of a turbulent budget session fueled by Kashmir-centric parties like PDP, People’s Conference, and Awami Ittehad Party aiming to highlight sensitive matters, the BJP’s solid response is anticipated. Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather has scheduled a meeting with key political party leaders who have representation in the House on February 27 to facilitate a smooth budget session, which begins on March 3.
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The prominent leaders invited to the meeting by the Speaker at his Jammu office at 11 AM on February 27 include Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma and Surjeet Singh Slathia (both BJP), Ali Mohammad Sagar and Mubarak Gul (both from the National Conference), Ghulam Ahmed Mir, former PCC -I chief (Congress), Waheed ur Rehman Para (PDP), Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami (CPM), Sajjad Gani Lone (People’s Conference), and Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, an Independent MLA from Thannamandi who has been supporting the National Conference.
The meeting will see participation from all political parties, excluding the AIP which has one MLA in the Legislature. Both CPM and People’s Conference also hold a solitary MLA each in the Assembly.
Reports indicate that Mehbooba Mufti-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which has three MLAs, along with Sajjad Gani Lone’s People’s Conference and jailed Engineer Rashid’s AIP, may raise contentious issues during the budget session, potentially leading to severe opposition from the BJP’s 28-member contingent, causing chaos and disruption in the House proceedings.
The Speaker is expected to provide updates on the arrangements made for the budget session and request cooperation from the leaders to ensure the Legislature operates smoothly and addresses maximum business.
The Legislative Assembly will proceed under amended rules that exclude references to the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, Governor, Legislative Council, and Joint Select Committee.
“The Speaker aims to gather suggestions from party leaders and chief whips, who are invited to the meeting, for the effective operation of the budget session,” sources mentioned.
The Congress, with six MLAs, previously formed a pre-poll alliance with the National Conference but has not joined the Government. The NC, holding the status of the single largest party with 41 MLAs, also benefits from Congress’s support as well as backing from the lone MLA of CPM and four Independent legislators, raising its total strength to 52 in the 90-member House, with two vacancies.
Sources further suggested that the National Conference will likely face no obstacles in pushing through its legislative agenda due to its comfortable majority and partnerships. Conversely, the BJP, which secured 29 seats in the September-October 2024 Assembly elections, has now been reduced to 28 MLAs following the passing of prominent member and MLA Nagrota Devender Singh Rana.
The first session of the Government from November 4-8 of last year also witnessed significant unrest, with BJP members repeatedly ejected from the House in protest against resolutions demanding Constitutional guarantees. That brief five-day session took place in Srinagar.
The 40-day budget session with 22 sittings is scheduled to occur in Jammu from March 3 to April 11.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who oversees the Finance Department, will present his inaugural budget on March 7, with the budget set for Assembly approval on March 25.
The session kicks off on March 3 with an address by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to the Legislature. This marks the LG’s second address to the House, the first being on November 4.
