Srinagar, Sep 19: With the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly set to begin its autumn session on Monday, the ruling National Conference is gearing up for the legislative battle, with party president Farooq Abdullah scheduled to chair a meeting of NC legislators and Independent MLAs supporting the government on Sunday.
The meeting will be held at 4:30 pm at the Banquet Hall in Srinagar and will be attended by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is the leader of the NC Legislature Party.
In a communication issued to party MLAs, NC chief whip Mubarik Gul said the meeting would be attended by “the members of the Legislative Assembly belonging to the J&K National Conference and the independent members supporting the government”.
The letter said the meeting would be held “under the chairmanship of Dr Farooq Abdullah, in presence of Omar Abdullah, leader of legislature party and Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir”.
A senior NC leader said the meeting had been convened primarily to prepare the party for the Assembly session and coordinate its strategy on issues expected to come up during the proceedings.
“This is essentially a preparatory meeting ahead of the Assembly session. The party leadership will take stock of the issues likely to come up in the House and coordinate with legislators on the government’s legislative business as well as the issues that may be raised by the Opposition,” the leader said.
The meeting assumes significance as the government enters the session facing a series of issues on which the Opposition has already sharpened its attack.
The 10-day autumn session, beginning September 21, will have seven sittings. September 21, 22, 29, and 30 have been earmarked for government business, while September 24 and 28 have been allotted for Private Members’ Bills and September 25 for Private Members’ Resolutions. The House will not meet on September 23, 26 and 27.
Power tariff is expected to be among the principal issues confronting the government. The Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission has approved an average 6.83 per cent increase in electricity tariffs in J&K, effective from September 1, 2026. Opposition parties are expected to seek explanations from the government over the hike during the session. The tariff issue could prove politically sensitive for the government as the National Conference had campaigned on a promise of providing 200 units of free electricity to households. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has defended the tariff revision, saying the increase was limited and came after a gap of four years.
Employment and outsourcing are likely to form another major part of the Opposition’s attack. Opposition parties are expected to question the government over recruitment, contractual appointments and the outsourcing of jobs and services, particularly against the backdrop of persistent concerns over unemployment among youth.
Governance and implementation of government commitments are also likely to come under scrutiny, with the Opposition expected to raise issues concerning administrative functioning, recruitment, public services and delivery of development works. The government, meanwhile, is expected to use the session to explain its decisions and defend its record on issues likely to come under attack.
The BJP, the principal Opposition party in the Assembly, has already criticised the seven-sitting schedule, while other opposition parties are also preparing to raise issues concerning governance and public concerns.
The session will therefore bring the government face-to-face with a range of politically sensitive issues, with the Opposition expected to use the Assembly floor to press the administration for answers on power tariffs, employment, outsourcing and governance.
