Srinagar, August 12: The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, has announced that the winter assembly session will begin on September 21. This decision follows a recommendation from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his council of ministers.
The assembly serves as the legislative body of the Jammu and Kashmir government, currently comprising 95 members elected directly from 95 constituencies. The term of the assembly lasts five years unless dissolved earlier.
Before the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, Jammu and Kashmir had a bicameral legislature, which included a legislative council and an assembly. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, passed by Parliament on August 5, 2019, transformed it into a unicameral legislature and reorganized the state into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The current 13th assembly was elected in September and October 2024.
In the existing assembly, the ruling National Conference holds 41 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party has 29, the Congress has 6, the People’s Democratic Party has 4, the CPI(M) has 1, the Awami Ittihad Party has 1, the Aam Aadmi Party has 1, the People’s Conference has 1, and there are 6 independent members.
Senior National Conference leader and former minister Abdul Rahim Rather serves as the Speaker of the Assembly. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is the leader of the house, while Sunil Sharma from the Bharatiya Janata Party is the leader of the opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
The ruling National Conference government, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has the support of the Congress, CPI(M), and four independent members. Several significant issues are expected to be raised during this session, including a renewed demand for Jammu and Kashmir to regain full statehood.
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