National Conference veteran Abdul Rahim Rather set to be Speaker, BJP may get Deputy Speaker post in J&K Assembly

, Oct 18: With the formation of the new government in Jammu and , key decisions regarding the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly have been made. Veteran Conference leader Abdul Rahim Rather, a seven-time MLA, is set to be elected as the new Speaker. Meanwhile, the BJP, which is the second largest party in the House after the NC, is likely to be offered the post of Deputy Speaker.

Abdul Rahim Rather's extensive experience of over three decades in the Legislative Assembly makes him eminently qualified for the Speaker's role. As the Assembly will now function under the framework of Jammu and Kashmir being a Union Territory, Rather's expertise will help ensure its smooth functioning. Mubarak Gul, another senior NC member who has been an MLA since 1983, will take over as the Pro-tem Speaker to oversee initial proceedings including the oath-taking of members.

In a strategic move, the NC has decided to offer the Deputy Speaker's post to the BJP in order to ensure cross-party consensus for the elections. As the main opposition party, the BJP's role in the smooth conduct of in the Assembly is being acknowledged. Prior instances of opposition parties being assigned the Deputy Speaker's post have also precedence in the newly created UT.

With 42 elected members and support from 5 Independents and 1 AAP MLA, the NC is comfortably placed to form a stable government supported by 48 members in the 90-seat House. By reaching out to the BJP, it aims to foster constructive policymaking through participative decision-making and maintain decorum in the House. The first session of the new Assembly is scheduled early next month.