Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 22: The Election Commission has ordered constitution of 12th Legislative Assembly on or before December 29 while term of the 11th Assembly will end on January 17, the deadline for formation of new Government in Jammu and Kashmir.
“While all 87 results will be announced tomorrow, if everything goes well and there was no problem during counting, the Election Commission will constitute 12th Legislative Assembly for Jammu and Kashmir any time on or before December 29, the deadline for completion of election process in the State, which went to elections in five phases, the last one being on December 20,” official sources told the Excelsior.
Counting of votes for all 87 Assembly seats will be taken up tomorrow.
Sources said after results for all 87 seats are announced by tomorrow afternoon, the District Electoral Officers (DEOs) will prepare list of winners of the Assembly segments falling in their districts and submit complete data to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Jammu and Kashmir. The CEO, in turn, will submit names of 87 winners, who will be MLAs of 12th Legislative Assembly to the Election Commission of India.
The Election Commission will formally issue a notification announcing constitution of 12th Legislative Assembly for Jammu and Kashmir on or before December 29. The Commission has set the deadline of December 29 for completion of entire election process in the State including constitution of the new Assembly after declaration of all 87 results.
The Election Commission can constitute the new Assembly well before December 29 i.e. December 26 or 27 when it received names of all 87 winners from the office of the CEO J&K, sources said.
Though the political parties can start the process for formation of Government, they can formally approach the Governor to stake claim for formation of the Government only after constitution of the new Assembly by the Election Commission of India, the copies of which are forwarded to the President of India and the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The political parties can take time to form new combinations before staking claim to form the Government before the Governor till January 17. In any case, the new Chief Minister had to be sworn-in with or without his Council of Ministers on or before January 17 to avert imposition of Governor’s Rule in Jammu and Kashmir,” sources said.
Though Omar Abdullah along with nine Cabinet Ministers had taken oath of office and secrecy at Zorawar Singh Auditorium in Jammu University on January 5, 2010, the date for six years term of the Legislative Assembly is counted from the day the MLAs are sworn-in, sources said, adding, therefore, there was ample time before the political parties to draw their strategy and approach the Governor for formation of new Government in the State.
Out of 87 MLAs, the senior most legislator will be sworn-in as Pro-tem Speaker of the 12th Assembly by the Assembly Secretary. The Pro-tem Speaker will then administer oath of office and secrecy to other MLAs.
The first task of the new Assembly after oath ceremony will be election of the Speaker after which the Chief Minister appointed by the Governor will prove his majority on floor of the House within the stipulated period given by the Governor, sources said.
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