Veteran National Conference (NC) leader and seven-time MLA, Abdul Rahil Rather was on Monday elected as the new Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. Rather represents the Charar-i-Sharief Assembly constituency in Budgam district.

For the first time in six years, the Assembly commenced a five-day session today. Election of a new Speaker was the first in the List of Business issued by the Assembly Secretariat.

The 80-year-old was elected Speaker by a voice vote after opposition parties decided against contesting for the post. Protem Speaker Mubarak Gul conducted the election.

Minister for Agriculture Javed Ahmad Dar moved a motion to name Rather for the post, while NC's MLA Ramban Arjun Singh Raju seconded the motion.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is also scheduled to address the House later in the day.

Congratulating Rather, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he was the "natural choice for the post of Speaker".

"Not one person objected to your being chosen as the Speaker... You have now become the custodian of this House," he added.

During a meeting of its Legislature Party on Sunday, the J&K BJP nominated Narinder Singh Raina as its candidate for the post of Deputy Speaker. The party did not name a candidate for the Speaker's post.

The last session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly took place in 2018, a year before the abrogation of Article 370.

This is also the first session after the September-October Assembly elections in the union territory that were conducted after a gap of 10 years.

The NC-Congress alliance won the polls, by securing 49 out of the total 90 Assembly seats. The BJP won 29 seats, all in Jammu.

Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the Chief Minister on October 16.

Source: India Today