Issues of collective importance mentioned for discussion
Legislators say will speak on ground-realities
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 31: While Independent MLAs affiliated with ruling National Conference have been invited to an important meeting of legislators at Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s Gupkar residence on June 3, the Congress, which is also an ally of the NC, hasn’t been extended any invitation so far.
Significantly, the Chief Minister himself wrote to all ruling NC MLAs and four Independent MLAs affiliated to the party for all important crucial meeting yesterday.
PCC(I) Chief Tariq Hamid Karra told the Excelsior that the Congress hasn’t been invited to the meeting.
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader GA Mir also confirmed to the Excelsior late tonight that they haven’t received the invite so far.
“I love how the people who know the least about the meeting I’ve called with my MLAs are talking the most. Remember one thing – those who know don’t speak & those who speak sit in the opposition,” Omar wrote on X about different reactions to the meeting called by him.
“I am writing to invite you to the meeting convened to deliberate upon matters of collective importance and issues concerning public welfare,’’ Omar said in a brief three-paragraph letter addressed to the MLAs.
“Given the significance of the matters proposed to be discussed, your attendance is mandatory and may kindly be ensured,’’ the letter stated.
The meeting is scheduled to be held on June 3 at 10 AM at Gupkar, Srinagar.
As per the reports, four Independent MLAs including Pyare Lal Sharma (Inderwal), Rameshwar Singh (Bani), Muzaffar Khan (Thannamandi) and Choudhary Akram (Surankote), all of whom owe their allegiance to the National Conference have been invited to the meeting.
CPM MLA MY Tarigami, who is also an ally of the ruling National Conference, said he will attend the meeting but was yet to check the invitation. “If I’m invited, I will attend,’’ he added.
However, the Congress with six MLAs and pre-poll alliance partner of the National Conference hasn’t been extended an invitation for the meeting so far.
“What is the subject or agenda of the meeting, we can’t say. We haven’t been extended any invitation (by the National Conference),’’ CLP leader GA Mir said, adding they had entered into alliance with the NC for a greater cause. “We had same agenda then, which we have now’’.
Asked whether NC-Congress alliance is still intact, the CLP leader quipped: “We have ‘taal’ but no ‘mail’. We can’t say what attitude or feeling they (the NC) have’’.
Choudhary Akram, Independent MLA from Surankote said four Independent MLAs have been supporting the NC and they have been invited to the meeting.
“We will attend the meeting,’’ he told the Excelsior.
On the issues, he said they will speak about ground-realities.
Insiders said the Chief Minister is expected to listen to the issues of all legislators of the party and Independent MLAs affiliated with the National Conference on political, development and other issues of Jammu and Kashmir.
Few days back, a couple of MLAs had reportedly spoken against a Minister saying he was ignoring their Assembly constituencies at the cost of his own.
There have been three vacancies in the Council of Ministers headed by Omar Abdullah and speculation have been rife for the past quite some time about expansion/reshuffle in the Ministry. With 90 – member House, the Government can have nine Ministers including the Chief Minister but presently there are six—three each from Jammu and Kashmir divisions. Besides, there is a Speaker but the post of Deputy Speaker is also vacant. The Government has neither offered the post to the Opposition as per tradition nor made its own party MLA as the Deputy Speaker.
Omar Abdullah Government has already completed one and half years in the power.
“All MLAs are expected to speak at the meeting followed by the Chief Minister’s address. Omar may respond to issues raised by the legislators,’’ the sources said.
In the 90-member Assembly, National Conference has 41 MLAs while the BJP has 29. Congress has six MLAs, PDP four and there are six Independents. CPM, People’s Conference, AAP and AIP have one seat each.
National Conference has the support of Congress, CPM and five Independent MLAs, taking tally of supporting parties to 53.
There has been a provision for nomination of five MLAs in the UT Assembly including two women, two Kashmiri migrants, one of them a woman and a PoJK refugee. However, the nominations haven’t been made so far.
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