Srinagar. Senior National Conference leader and seven-time MLA from Charar-e-Sharif Abdul Rahim Rather was on Monday elected the first Speaker of the Assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Rather was elected Speaker by voice vote after the opposition parties decided not to contest the election for the post. After the elections, Leader of the House Omar Abdullah and Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma elevated Abdul Rahim Rather to the chair of the Assembly Speaker.
During this, Protem Speaker Mubarak Gul and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah congratulated Abdul Rahim Rather. CM Abdullah said, Honorable Speaker Sir, I want to congratulate you on behalf of the entire House. You were the natural choice to take up the responsibility of this position. You have served the people sometimes by being in the party and sometimes by being in the opposition. Now, as the guardian of the House, you will run the Assembly in a better manner. We hope that the Speaker will pay more attention to the opposition benches rather than the ruling party. While congratulating him, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Sunil Sharma assured that the Opposition will maintain the discipline and decorum of the House and will provide required cooperation in its functioning.
Rather has become MLA for the seventh time. He won the assembly elections for the first time in 1977. He has also been MLA in 1983, 1987, 1996, 2002 and 2008. However, he lost in 2014. In the recent assembly elections held on 90 seats in Jammu and Kashmir, NC got 42 seats and BJP 29 seats. Congress, which contested the elections in alliance with NC, got six seats. People’s Democratic Party (PDP) got three seats. CPI(M), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and People’s Conference (PC) won one seat each while seven independent candidates emerged victorious. Six of the seven independents have also joined the NC.