Veteran National Conference leader and seven-time MLA, Abdul Rahim Rather was Monday unanimously elected as Speaker of the first Assembly of Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory.
As soon as the House assembled at 10: 30 am, 78-year-old Rather, who has served as minister in the ministry of Sheikh Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah, and Omar Abdullah, was elected as Speaker after Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Javaid Ahmad Dar moved a motion for choosing him for the coveted post. The motion was seconded by NC's MLA Ramban, Arjun Singh Raju.
With opposition parties deciding against contesting the post, the pro-tem Speaker Mubarak Gul declared his election as the Speaker.
Rather has previously served as Jammu and Kashmir's Finance Minister several times. Soon after his election, Leader of House Omar Abdullah and Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma escorted him to the Speaker's chair.
Omar hopes the Speaker will be fair to all parties
Within minutes after his election, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called on the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Abdul Rahim Rather, to ensure fair treatment for all political parties.
He emphasized the importance of equal opportunities for all members, regardless of their affiliation with the ruling party or the opposition.
"You are the custodian of this House, and we hope you will treat everyone equally. Every member, whether from the ruling party or the opposition, should have equal opportunities to speak. I assure you of our full cooperation. We are here to address the issues of the people," Omar stated in his address following Rather's assumption of the Speaker's role.
LoP extends full support to the Speaker
BJP legislator and Leader of the Opposition, Sunil Sharma, also expressed his full support for the Speaker in ensuring the smooth functioning of the House. Senior Congress leader G A Mir joined in welcoming Rather to his new position. CPI (M) Legislator M Y Tarigami highlighted that the Speaker represents all legislators in the House.
Senior BJP leader and the party's Leader of Opposition (LoP), Sunil Sharma, praised the experience of the newly elected Speaker, Abdul Rahim Rather, and assured full cooperation from the opposition while seeking a neutral stance from the Speaker.
"Sir, I congratulate you for being elected as the Speaker. You have a vast experience of being in this House. You have been in government and also in the opposition. From the opposition side, I assure you full support. We all would learn from your experience," Sharma said, addressing the House.
The opposition needs to be given more attention than the treasury benches. "We have young blood in the opposition camp but despite that, we assure you that we will maintain discipline and follow rules in spirit," Sharma added.
