Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 9: Governor NN Vohra today nominated eight members to the Legislative Council against the vacancies, which had arisen after retirement of an equal number of nominated MLCs of National Conference and Congress, the previous coalition partners.
Of eight MLCs nominated to the Upper House today, four each belonged to ruling PDP and BJP.
The nominated MLCs included Ashok Khajuria, Romesh Arora, Ajatshatru Singh and Surinder Mohan Ambardar (all from BJP), Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, Vikramaditya Singh, Saif-ud-Din Bhat and Mohammad Khurshid Alam (all PDP).
With the nominations, the PDP-BJP Alliance has gained majority in the Legislative Council as their strength has risen to 19 in the House of 34. Rest of the 15 members belonged to the National Conference and Congress.
The Upper House has total 36 members but there are two vacancies from the quota of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) as elections to the Municipalities were not held after the bodies completed their term in March 2010.
Official sources told the Excelsior that election of the Legislative Council Chairman and Deputy Chairman would be held later. The Council will adjourn sine die tomorrow.
As per the procedure, the Government will have to write to the Governor to fix election of the Council Chairman. The Government had to propose date for the election. Accordingly, the Governor will fix the date.
A notice for election of the Chairman had to be given 24 hours before the date fixed for the election. The election of the Deputy Chairman is conducted by the Chairman.
Sources said the PDP-BJP coalition will not have any problem in getting their candidates elected to the posts of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman in view of the majority figure of 19.
The nominations could help the PDP-BJP coalition to get their four bills passed smoothly in the Council tomorrow as only today three private member’s resolutions of opposition MLCs were passed in the Upper House as the ruling Alliance was in minority with 11 members as compared to 15 of the opposition.
At least two bills of the Alliance could have been defeated as NC MLA Mohammad Shafi Uri today opposed the bills pertaining to increase in age of chairpersons and members of State Accountability Commission (SAC) and State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) in the Assembly. However, in view of majority, the bills were through in the Assembly.
All eight MLCs were expected to take oath tomorrow before the bills are subjected to pass motion.
Of four BJP MLCs, Ashok Khajuria, Romesh Arora and Surinder Ambardar will be becoming members of the Upper House tomorrow. Khajuria had been a member of the Lower House for two terms while Arora and Ambardar will be becoming members of the any House for the first time.
Ajatshatru was Minister in 1996 Farooq Abdullah Government. He had been member of both the Houses on NC mandate. He had switched over to the BJP on the eve of Assembly elections.
Vikramaditya Singh, who has been nominated MLC on the PDP mandate is elder brother of Ajatshatru Singh.
Three other PDP MLCs-Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, Saif-ud-Din Bhat and Mohammad Khurshid Alam will become members of any House for the first time.
Manhas is retired Secretary of Cultural Academy while Alam is a trade Union leader.
With todays nominations, PDP now has 11 MLCs followed by 8 each of BJP and NC and 7 of Congress.
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