Early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 3: Former minister and two-time BJP MLA Sunil Sharma has been elected as the Leader of the Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
However, the party has not announced the name of the Deputy Speaker because the ruling National Conference (NC) has not yet offered this post to the principal opposition party.
Contrary to reports suggesting that the NC would give the Deputy Speaker’s post to the BJP, highly placed sources indicate that the ruling party has not made any official announcement in this regard. It is unlikely that the NC will offer the Deputy Speaker’s post to the BJP, as the ruling party prefers to give this position to a Congress MLA or accommodate one of its own leaders.
Sources within the NC have expressed concerns that giving the Deputy Speaker’s post to the BJP would send a wrong message in the Kashmir Valley. Rival groups, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), could exploit this issue to expose a perceived “nexus” between the two parties.
Initially, the NC leadership considered offering the Deputy Speaker’s post to the BJP to avoid direct confrontation with the Union government. There is a precedent in the previous assemblies of Jammu and Kashmir where the Deputy Speaker’s post was offered to the principal opposition parties. For i BJP has not announced the name of the Deputy Speaker as the ruling NC has not yet offered this post to it.
It is unlikely that the NC will offer the Deputy Speaker’s post to the BJP.
The ruling party may give this position to a Congress MLA or accommodate one of its own leaders.
NC leaders are of the opinion that giving the Deputy Speaker’s post to the BJP would send a wrong message.
The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is set to hold its first legislative assembly session since the revocation of Article 370 on November 4. The political dynamics have shifted significantly, with the BJP attempting to consolidate power in the region, while traditional parties like the NC seek to retain their influence amidst these changes.
Earlier, former minister Sunil Sharma was elected as the leader of the Jammu and Kashmir BJP legislature party.
The MLA from Padder Nagseni in the Kishtwar district is set to be the Leader of the Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly. A BJP spokesman confirmed Sharma’s election as the BJP legislature party leader, stating that he will be the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly.
The 47-year-old BJP leader was elected for a second term in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, winning with a narrow margin from Padder Nagseni, a newly created constituency after the 2022 delimitation process in the Union Territory. Sharma previously served as a minister of state in the PDP-BJP coalition government from 2014 to 2018. | 