The first budget session of the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, commencing on Monday, promises to be unprecedented, with blurred lines between the ruling coalition and the opposition.
The Omar Abdullah-led National Conference (NC) government, supported by Congress and Independents, will present its budget in the Assembly, where both the ruling party and the principal opposition—the BJP—are, interestingly, part of the government in one way or another.
Omar Abdullah, the leader of the National Conference, serves as the Chief Minister, heading a coalition government that officially includes the Congress and several independent MLAs.
At the same time, the principal opposition party, the BJP, holds a distinctive position. BJP MLA Sunil Sharma from the Paddar Nagsani segment of the Kishtwar district is designated as the Leader of the Opposition.
The BJP also indirectly governs the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir through the office of the Lieutenant Governor, who represents the Union Government led by the BJP at the Centre. This dual role positions the BJP as both the opposition and an indirect ruling power in the Union Territory.
NC, BJP ruling J&K directly, indirectly
With 91 seats in its kitty in the 90-member House, the National Conference is the single largest party in the Legislative Assembly. The principal opposition party, the BJP, is the second largest party with 28 seats.
The National Conference currently holds 41 seats in the 90-member Assembly, making it the single largest party. However, the BJP's indirect control through the Lieutenant Governor's office means it exercises significant influence over the administration.
Congress, the third-largest party in the Legislative Assembly, with six MLAs in its kitty, is also part of the government because this party officially remains aligned with the National Conference in the coalition.
Even though the NC has strategically sidelined the Congress after securing a working majority with the help of five Independent MLAs to keep the central government in good humour, the Congress still technically remains part of the government under the umbrella of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc at the national level.
The five Independents who extended support to the government included Satish Sharma from Chhamb (Jammu), who is also minister in the Omar Abdullah government, Pyare Lal Sharma from Inderwal (Kishtwar), Choudhary Mohammed Akram from Surankote (Poonch), Muzaffar Iqbal Khan from Thanamandi (Rajouri), and Dr Rameshwar Singh from Bani (Kathua)
Additionally, the lone CPI(M) MLA, M Y Tarigami, and the only AAP MLA, Mehraj Malik, also support the government.
PDP is real opposition in Assembly
With three main parties, namely the National Conference, the BJP, and Congress, being directly and indirectly part of the government, three members of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) are the real opposition in the Assembly.
People's Conference leader and MLA Handwara Sajad Gani Lone and Awami Ittihad Party MLA Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh are also in the block of opposition parties.
While the principal opposition party, the BJP, will hesitate to take up issues of terrorism and the deteriorating law and order situation in Jammu province, only PDP members will take up all issues.
PDP members have already announced the introduction of three bills in the coming budget session of the Legislative Assembly.
PDP Legislative Party leader in the Assembly and MLA from Pulwama, Wahid-ur-Rehman Parra, said that his party will introduce three bills in the coming session. He further stated that these bills would be introduced in the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Parra said that these bills address critical public issues and urged all political parties to support them beyond party lines.
