J&K Assembly session to have 5-7 sittings

Srinagar, Oct 5: The autumn session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, summoned by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to begin on October 23 in Srinagar, is expected to be short but intense in debate, with the opposition gearing up to corner the government over a string of contentious issues including the reservation row, detention of MLA Mehraj Malik under the Public Safety Act (PSA), flood devastation, and the continuing demand for restoration of statehood.

Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather indicated that the sitting may not stretch beyond five to seven days, though the final decision will follow consultations with the Business Advisory Committee and a review of the government’s legislative agenda.

“We are preparing a calendar, and I believe the session will not go beyond five to seven sittings. These are usually short sessions, and the duration depends on how much business the government brings forward. After receiving information from the government, and after that, we will issue the calendar,” Rather said. “The committee members will be fully consulted before finalising the schedule.”

The Assembly Secretariat has directed MLAs to submit starred and unstarred questions and bills by October 4, and resolutions by October 7, reflecting a tight legislative window for debate and scrutiny.

The reservation policy, recently revised to alter quotas for certain categories, has sparked political backlash from several parties, who allege the move is politically motivated and dilutes existing social protections.

The opposition is likely to raise the issue forcefully in the House, seeking a detailed explanation from the government on its criteria, timing, and intent behind the changes.

Adding to the heat, the PSA detention of AAP MLA Mehraj Malik, the show-cause notice to PDP MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, and the devastation caused by recent floods and landslides have set the stage for a high-voltage session.

The opposition is also expected to question the delay in statehood restoration.

“This may be a short session, but it will be a stormy one,” said a senior opposition leader. “People’s issues are piling up – floods, unemployment, reservations, detentions - and the government cannot escape accountability by shortening Assembly sittings.”

Speaker Rather clarified that Mehraj Malik’s participation would depend on court approval, and the reply to Para’s show-cause notice was under legal examination.

“We will act strictly as per the law,” he said.

The session comes five days before the constitutional deadline of October 28, which mandates holding a sitting within six months of the last session.

The previous day-long session in April was confined to condemning the Pahalgam terror attack, while the budget session earlier this year lasted from March 3 to April 9.

Observers believe that with limited sittings and a crowded political agenda, the autumn session may expose growing fault lines between the government and opposition.