JAMMU, Feb 26: An All Party Meeting (APM) called by Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather tomorrow ahead of crucial budget session of the Legislature is expected to set the tone for 40 days session with 22 sittings beginning from March 3 with Opposition parties mainly the BJP, PDP and People’s Conference gearing up to leave no stone unturned to corner Omar Abdullah Government while the Congress which has made it clear that it is an ally of the ruling party is expected to maintain balance, like the CPM.Rather will chair the APM which will be held in the Speaker’s office tomorrow morning. Invitees include Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma and Surjeet Singh Slathia (both BJP), Ali Mohammad Sagar and Mubarak Gul (NC), Ghulam Ahmed Mir (Congress), Sajad Gani Lone (People’s Conference), Muhammad Yusuf Tarigami (CPI-M), Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra (PDP) and Muzaffar Iqbal Khan (Independent), affiliated with the NC.
The Speaker is expected to seek cooperation of all political parties from their leaders and chief whips to ensure smooth session leading to healthy debate on host of issues, raising of genuine issues of the public and their redressal.
jammu division has a strong opposition with 28 MLAs from the BJP. However, four Independent MLAs who won from the region have also sided with the ruling National Conference with one of them becoming a Minister. Congress has a total of six MLAs but it’s leaders said they will play “balancing act” as they are an ally of the NC though not in the power. PDP with three MLAs and People’s Conference with one, all from the Valley, are planning to play an aggressive opposition role.
Almost all the leaders going to attend the meeting to whom the Excelsior spoke were unanimous that the Assembly session should be productive and no time should be lost to pandemonium or adjournments. While Opposition members said the responsibility for this lies with the treasury benches, the ruling party and their allies are of the view that the Opposition should play constructive role.
The Opposition leaders said they would grill the Government on promises made in the election manifesto if they are not included in the budget. The PDP and People’s Conference are expected to go all out against the NC Government.
The National Conference too has been gearing up to counter the Opposition onslaught. The NC Legislature Party will meet under the chairmanship Cm Omar Abdullah ahead of the session to finalize the budget and the party’s strategy at 2 pm on March 2 in Jammu. It, however, is not yet clear whether joint meeting of the partners like NC, Congress, CPM and four Independents will also be held or not.
Describing as “good attempt” the decision of Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to convene All Party Meeting ahead of the budget session to ensure that there are no major disruptions and adjournments, the ruling party leaders hoped that the Opposition will take up the people’s issues leading to debates and will not just play to the galleries.
Sources said the National Conference is unlikely to find any problem in getting its legislative or other business through as it enjoys comfortable majority with the help of allies. The BJP which won 29 seats in September-October 2024 Assembly elections has been reduced to 28 MLAs with the death of party stalwart and MLA Nagrota Devender Singh Rana.
First session of the Government from November 4-8 last year had also turned out to be stormy with the BJP legislators repeatedly marshaled out of the House in protest again resolution seeking Constitutional guarantees etc. The brief session of five days in November was held in Srinagar.
The 40 days long budget session with 22 sittings is being held in Jammu from March 3 to April 11.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who holds charge of the Finance Department, will present his maiden budget on March 7. The budget has been listed for the Assembly approval on March 25.
The session will start on March 3 with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s address to the Legislature. This will be the LG’s second address to the House, the first being on November 4.
