Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Nov 3: Ahead of the four-day Assembly session set to begin tomorrow, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today elected Sunil Kumar Sharma as the Leader of its Legislature Party, who will be Leader of the Opposition in Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
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The election was conducted during a meeting held under the supervision of national observer and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, with 28 MLAs and senior leaders, including Tarun Chugh and Rajya Sabha member Ghulam Ali Khatana, present.
The meeting also outlined the party’s approach for the upcoming Assembly session, which begins tomorrow.
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Speaking to reporters, Joshi emphasized that BJP MLAs will serve as a constructive opposition, ensuring that public concerns are raised both inside and outside the Assembly.
“Today, we held the party’s J&K Legislative meeting, resulting in the unanimous election of Sunil Sharma as the Leader of Legislature Party, with DK Manyal and Surjit Singh as proposer and seconder. Other leaders also endorsed the decision,” he added.
Congratulating Sharma-who contested the Assembly elections from the Padder-Nagseni segment in the Jammu division, defeating National Conference’s Pooja Thakur by 1,546 votes with a total of 17,036 votes-, Joshi thanked the MLAs for enabling a smooth election process.
He reiterated that the party will act as a “constructive opposition,” adding: “The MLAs should work together to fulfill the mandate given by the people and raise public issues inside and outside the Assembly to bring them to the Government’s attention.”
Joshi also highlighted the strong support the BJP has garnered nationwide, including in J&K, and stressed the importance of further strengthening this base.
Addressing reporters, BJP LP leader Sunil Kumar Sharma reaffirmed the party’s commitment to being a “healthy opposition” and holding the Government accountable for promises made to the people.
“We will ensure that the Government fulfils its promises and meets the aspirations of the people. We will act as their voice, starting tomorrow,” he said.
“It’s a true honour and a humbling experience to be appointed as the Leader of Opposition in the J&K Legislative Assembly. I extend my sincere gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, J P Nadda, the entire BJP leadership, and my fellow MLAs for their trust and confidence in me,” Sharma added.
Responding to recent remarks by National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah, who suggested that militants should be captured alive rather than killed, Sharma remarked, “Dr Farooq needs to get himself checked. If you analyse his statements over the past month, it’s clear he needs a check-up; he has shifted from advocating for China to Pakistan, and now this.”
Sharma emphasized that security and law enforcement fall under the Centre’s jurisdiction, making Abdullah’s comments unwarranted.
“He must bear in mind that J&K is a Union Territory, where law and order are under the Centre’s control. It is the Centre’s mandate to address security and law and order; Dr. Farooq can say anything, but it does not change this mandate,” he said.
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