Srinagar, Sep 20: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Legislature Party met in Srinagar on Sunday to finalise a common strategy for the autumn session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, which begins on Monday.
After the meeting, Leader of Opposition (LOP) Sunil Sharma said such pre-session sittings were a settled legislative practice.
“It is a tradition that when the session starts, before the session starts, all the legislative groups are called; the legislative party sits and the issues that are burning issues or issues of the respective constituencies. They are discussed. The issues which are common at the general state level are discussed. All the activities and all session-related conversations take place,” he said.
Sharma said the BJP Legislative Group meeting had been convened in the same spirit.
“All 29 MLAs sat in it. All the common causes and burning issues, they were discussed and we will enter the session tomorrow with a unanimous opinion. Will hold the government accountable. At present, for all the people who are in trouble and distress, we will talk for them in the assembly tomorrow; we will talk on policy matters,” he said.
The autumn session has been summoned in Srinagar from September 21 to September 30.
The provisional calendar issued by Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather provides for seven sitting days, with September 23 observed as a holiday on Maharaja Hari Singh’s birth anniversary and September 26-27 falling as an off day and Sunday.
Monday’s opening sitting is expected to begin with obituary references, followed by government business on subsequent working days and private members’ business later in the week.
The BJP, the principal opposition with 29 MLAs, has used the run-up to the session to compile constituency grievances through outreach across district headquarters in both divisions.
Issues repeatedly flagged by party legislators include unemployment and the government’s jobs pledge, regularisation and service conditions of daily wagers, GRS, NHM, ASHA and Anganwadi workers, electricity tariffs, delay in panchayat and municipal elections, staff shortages in schools and hospitals, roads and civic amenities, and what the party describes as public frustration over delays and alleged corruption in routine administrative work.
Sharma said Sunday’s Legislature Party discussion was meant to convert those constituency complaints and common policy questions into a single floor line so that BJP members enter the House on Monday speaking with one voice.
The stated purpose, he repeated, was to place the difficulties of people “in trouble and distress” before the Assembly and to question the government on policy.
The National Conference Legislature Party is also holding its own pre-session meeting in Srinagar, with party president Farooq Abdullah expected to chair the gathering attended by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and supporting Independents.
With the Opposition insisting on accountability over jobs, tariffs, temporary employees and governance, and the treasury benches preparing their own floor strategy, Monday’s opening sitting is expected to set the tone for a contested autumn session.
