Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 17: Facing their first Assembly session beginning tomorrow, the PDP-BJP coalition Government tonight formulated its strategy to counter the opposition onslaught in both Houses of the Legislature. The PDP-BJP strategy was devised at dinner meeting hosted for the legislators of the two parties and allies by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed at his official residence.
The National Conference and Congress, the two main opposition parties in the Legislative Assembly, also finalized their strategy in the separate meetings with NC Legislature Party leader and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also hosting dinner for the party legislators at his Bhatindi residence in which the party decided to expose the PDP and BJP from deviating their known agenda and forming `coalition of compulsion’ for the sake of power.
Governor NN Vohra will address joint session of the Legislature in Central Hall of Legislature at 11.30 am tomorrow after election of the Speaker. After the Governor’s Address, both Houses will meet separately for obituary reference while real business of the two Houses will start on March 19 with debate on Motion of Thanks to Governor’s Address.
Official sources told the Excelsior that PDP-BJP coalition partners joined by their ally People’s Conference met at the dinner hosted by Mufti Sayeed for legislators (both MLAs and MLCs) of the two parties to devise the Government strategy to counter the opposition attack, which was planning to raise certain controversial issues like return of mortal remains of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, release of political prisoners, giving up of original agenda by the two parties, withdrawal of Government order on use of State flag, rehabilitation of floods, shortage of power etc.
“The opposition parties were planning to embarrass the PDP and BJP on which the two parties differed including release of political prisoners, rehabilitation of surrendered militants and use of State flag etc,” sources said, adding the PDP-BJP MLAs and MLCs were tipped off by their senior leaders including the Chief Minister on how to counter the opposition in both the Houses (Legislative Assembly and Council).
Worthwhile to mention here that the PDP-BJP coalition is still in minority in Legislative Council having just 11 members in the House with present strength of 34. They will remain in minority till March 27 when all eight nominated MLCs would complete their term. While three nominated MLCs have since retired/given up their membership, five others including Council Chairman Amrit Malhotra will retire on March 27. Once the Government nominates eight MLCs, its strength will reach 19, which will be majority mark in 36 members House with present strength of 34 as it has two vacancies from Urban Local Bodies quota.
However, the coalition will have no such problem in the Assembly, where it has two-third majority with 59 MLAs in the House of 89.
Sources said the PDP-BJP decided to face all the issues collectively to counter the opposition. The Chief Minister, who will be Leader of the House in the Assembly, advised the Ministers to come well prepared to reply to the questions and other queries and don’t overreact to the opposition charges.
The coalition partners decided that if required they could meet in the morning before start of Question Hour to discuss the day’s strategy.
The National Conference legislators at the dinner meeting of Omar Abdullah decided to corner the PDP-BJP by charging both the parties with deviating from their own ideology to form the Government. The NC will list the issues, which the PDP and BJP had raised during the elections, and given up them in `Agenda for the Alliance’ to form the Government.
The party would take up the issue of release of political prisoners, rehabilitation of flood victims, and withdrawal of State flag order etc apart from supporting the demand for return of mortal remains of Afzal Guru.
The Congress, which will be sitting in the opposition after more than 12 years as it shared power with PDP for five and half years from 2002 to 2008 and then with NC for next six years, could also support the NC on some of the issues but it will also rake up its own issues, sources said, adding that Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Rigzin Jora had briefed the party legislators in their meeting on the issues to be taken up in the Assembly.
CPM MLA MY Tarigami said the issuance and withdrawal of State flag order were mired in the controversy and the Government has to reply to that. He said good governance and shortage of power in the Valley would also be the major issues.
Meanwhile, term of 12th Legislative Assembly started today with all 88 MLAs including Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah taking oath as members of the Assembly.
Pro-tem Speaker Mohammad Shafi Uri administered oath at the swearing in the Assembly to 88 MLAs in the House of 89. Uri himself had earlier been administered the oath as MLA and Pro-tem Speaker by the Governor.
“All 88 MLAs took the oath today,” Secretary Assembly Mohammad Ramzan said.
Five MLAs, who had been stranded at Batote (all representatives of Chenab Valley) including Minister of State for Works Sunil Sharma were airlifted for the oath ceremony. Two MLAs-Mohammad Khalil Bhand and Abdul Majeed Bhat were airlifted from Kashmir.
“Though the Assembly had been constituted by the Election Commission of India on January 1, it formally came into existence from today with the oath taking ceremony,” sources said.
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Omar Abdullah took oath in English while Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh took oath in Hindi.
Health Minister Lal Singh and Minister of State for Finance, Pawan Kumar Gupta took oath in Dogri language. Independent MLA Hakeem Yasin took oath in Kashmiri language followed by Raja Manzoor Khan, who took oath in Gojri language and rest of them took oath in Hindi, Urdu and English.
Born on January 12, 1936 in Bijbehara in Anantnag district of the State, Sayeed took oath as MLA for 4th time.
He had been MLA in 1962, 1967 and 2008.
Omar, has taken oath as MLA for the second time but he has been MP twice from Srinagar.
As the 12th Assembly came in form today, BJP MLA Ravinder Raina triggered a controversy when he took the name of Mata Vaishno Devi ji while taking oath as MLA in the name of God, drawing objections from the opposition.
Raina, who is first time MLA from Nowshera Assembly segment and head of State BJP youth wing, came up to the Speaker’s chair and took oath in the name of Mata Vaishno Devi ji and said “I do swear in the name of Mata Vaishno Devi”.
CPI(M) MLA M Y Tarigami said there was set format for taking oath, which was Constitutional binding on all the MLAs. “There is a prescribed format for taking oath in the name of God (Ishwar),” he added.
Others from opposition, including National Conference and Congress, supported Tarigami over objection.
However, Pro-tem Speaker Mohmmad Shafi Uri intervened asking Raina to take oath in the name of God.
Raina tried to convince opposition members and said “I am a worshipper of Maa Vaishno Devi and consider the Goddess as his Ishwar”.
He told the House that some people take oath in the names of Jesus and Allah, why can’t he take the oath in the name of Mata Vaishno Devi ji.
“If I am doing that it will be true respect to my Ishwar,” he added.
His statement drew clapping from the people sitting in the visitors’ gallery on the stand of Raina, sparking objections from opposition NC benches especially Aga Syed Ruhullah, former Minister.
Aga said that it is not the meeting of a political party and the member needs to advise his supporters to take the proceedings of the House seriously.
Later, after the intervention of the Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, Raina took oath in Hindi in the name of Ishwar.
Raina before joining BJP had been an RSS worker. A fire brand leader, Raina had resigned as Commissioned Officer from Indian Navy to join the RSS.
On coming out of the Assembly complex, Raina unfurled a tricolor and started chanting with his supporters ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai…Jai Mata Di– Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.
All BJP legislators, except Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, came to the House wearing Dogra turbans. Before coming to the Assembly, they garlanded the statue of late Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra ruler of the State, and Prem Nath Dogra as a matter of respect.
Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed was the first one to take oath. Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also took oath among others. Congress MLA from Banihal and former Minister Viqar Rasool Wani took the oath as last MLA.
Adressing legislators, Omar called upon his party legislators to highlight the issues of immense public importance in general and the problems confronted to the people in their Constituencies in particular and seek their immediate redressal.
He said that the role assigned to the party by the people will be fulfilled with a sense of commitment. He said the budget session will offer ample opportunity to the members to raise their issues and join in vital discussions.
Mr Abdullah said National Conference will play a constructive role as a major Opposition and is ready for debates on the issues of public interest. “National Conference respects the democratic values and keeping in view the party’s glorious traditions, the members will play their useful role in steering the State to peace, progress and development”.
He urged the party legislators to gear up for the challenges, especially as the state is passing through a crucial phase with political opportunism having overtaken over the manifestos and ideologies. “In such a scenario, it becomes all the more important for National Conference to see the interests of this sensitive State are not jeopradised in any way”, he said, adding that the party has a prominent role in making the Government to act on promises made during elections.
The Legislature Party thrashed out its strategy to confront the Government on various important issues during the budget session starting from tomorrow.
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