#JAMMU: In Jammu and Kashmir, for the first time in the political history five nominated Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) will have a significant role in forming the new government following a decade-long hiatus.
These MLAs, representing Kashmiri displaced persons and those from Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK), will hold full legislative powers and privileges, just like elected representatives. Among the five MLAs, two will be Kashmiri displaced members—one woman and one man—while one will represent the POJK displaced community.
This will be a milestone in terms of representation for these communities, as their inclusion in the legislative assembly has been a longstanding demand. With this new arrangement, the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly will expand to 95 members, including the five nominated ones, increasing the majority threshold to 48 seats to form a government.
The Lieutenant Governor will nominate these members based on the advice of the Home Ministry. This process follows an amendment to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019, which was further revised on July 26, 2023, to introduce these nominations.
Congress has strongly objected to the move of the ruling BJP to get five of its leaders nominated to the Legislative Assembly, from LG prior to the process of Government formation in J&K and termed any such move as undemocratic and against the mandate of people and asked the LG to desist from any such move. Reacting strongly to the media reports in this regard JKPCC has termed any such move as undemocratic, an attempt to defeat the mandate of the people.
JKPCC senior vice president and chief spokesperson, Ravinder Sharma has said that the power to nominate five members to the Legislative Assembly should lie with the new Govt, otherwise, it would be an attempt to defeat the mandate of the people.
He claimed that Congress–NC will get a comfortable majority to form the Government but any such exercise would be contrary to the democratic norms and would be another betrayal with the mandate of the people.
