BJP's new J&K MLAs receive warm welcome at party headquarters in Jammu

Jammu, Oct 14 (IANS) The BJP's 29 MLAs - the maximum ever - in Jammu and Kashmir were given a formal welcome at the party headquarters here on Monday.  

Welcoming the new legislators, BJP's J&K President, Ravinder Raina, said it was a special moment for the party to welcome its elected candidates as they have done it proud.

"The people of J&K, especially those of the Jammu division, deserve special thanks from the BJP to have given the party 29 MLAs, which is the largest number the party has ever won in the J&K assembly elections," he said.

Raina said it was due to the great leadership of PM Narendra Modi and the guidance of Home Minister, Amit Shah and party President J.P. Nadda that such a victory was achieved.

"Soon, a meeting of the legislative party will be held, in which (Central observers) Prahlad Joshiji and Tarun Chugh will be present. After the meeting of the legislative party, the next steps in the process will be decided," he said.

The BJP has now to elect the leader of its legislative party in the new UT Assembly, and party sources said Sunil Kumar Sharma, the MLA from Padder-Nagseni constituency, and Devinder Rana, elected from Nagrota constituency, are among the front runners for the post. Raina had lost the election in the Nowshera constituency of the Rajouri district, where the National Conference candidate, Surinder Choudhary, defeated him.

As the party with the second largest number of MLAs, it is set to get the post of the Leader of the Opposition in the J&K assembly.

In the 90-member Assembly, the NC has 42, the Congress six, the PDP three, the CPI-M 1, the Peoples Conference and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) one each. There are seven Independents also.

The Lt Governor is authorised to nominate 5 MLAs - two women, two from the Kashmiri Pandit community, including one woman at least, and one from West Pakistan refugees.

Under the J&K Reorganisation Act 2019, read with the J&K Reorganisation Amendment Act 2013, all the 5 nominated MLAs will have voting rights during government formation.

The NC has already staked claim to power after its newly-elected legislative party leader and former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah called on Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha and gave him letters of support from the Congress, the CPI-M, the AAP, and 6 independent candidates.

The President’s rule was revoked Sunday by the President on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet. The swearing-in ceremony of Omar Abdullah-headed government is likely to take place on Wednesday.