Srinagar, Sep 20: A day ahead of the autumn session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, political parties went into a huddle on Sunday to chalk out their strategies for the 10-day session, with the ruling National Conference (NC) and its Congress ally deliberating on legislative business and public issues, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) separately prepared to put the government’s two-year record under the scanner.
The meetings came amid indications of a politically charged session, with the Opposition preparing to corner the government on governance and delivery, even as the Congress maintained that its alliance with the NC would not prevent it from raising legitimate public concerns.
At the Banquet Hall in Srinagar, NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah chaired a meeting of the party’s Legislature Party, attended by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Six Congress legislators also joined the deliberations as part of the discussions ahead of the session beginning Monday.
“The legislators discussed the legislative business to be taken up during the session and various matters concerning public welfare, development and governance,” the NC said in a statement.
Dr Farooq called upon the legislators to remain closely coordinated and ensure that the concerns and aspirations of the people were effectively raised in the House. He stressed the importance of constructive participation and focused engagement on issues concerning the public.
“The meeting underscored the importance of coordinated participation by the ruling alliance as the government prepares to face a determined Opposition on the Assembly floor,” he said.
NC MLA from Gurez Nazir Ahmad Gurezi said the Congress was part of the alliance and the ruling parties would collectively face the Opposition while ensuring that public concerns were addressed.
“Congress party was part of the alliance, and we will collectively face the Opposition and also ensure people’s issues are resolved,” Gurezi said. Echoing similar views, NC spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said there was no rift between NC and Congress and that the coalition was intact.
He said people had high expectations from the Assembly and assured that the government would take up issues raised by the public. “People have expectations from the House and the government will ensure public issues raised are resolved,” he said.
Karra draws line between alliance and public issues
The Congress made it clear that its partnership with the NC would not prevent its legislators from questioning the government or taking up what it considers legitimate public concerns.
JKPCC president and MLA Tariq Hameed Karra, after a meeting of Congress legislators, said being part of the ruling alliance did not mean that the party would remain silent on issues concerning the people.
“We are in alliance with the National Conference, but that does not mean we will not raise public issues. We will take up genuine concerns and ensure they are expedited,” Karra said.
He said the Assembly was fundamentally a forum for raising questions and ensuring that matters affecting people were addressed, irrespective of whether an issue was raised by a member of the ruling side or the Opposition.
“The purpose of the Assembly is that work should be done as soon as possible. For that, everyone raises questions, whether it is from the ruling party or the opposition party,” he said.
He said the Congress legislature party meeting was held to discuss the issues and strategy for the upcoming session.
Karra’s remarks assume significance against the backdrop of differences between the Congress and NC over certain issues, including Vande Mataram and UPI, despite the two parties remaining partners in the government.
Asked about these differences, Karra said the Congress had entered into the alliance on a principled basis and with the larger picture in mind.
“You see it from a very myopic view. We are in an alliance, and we are on a principled stand. We took that alliance as a principled stand, keeping in mind the larger picture,” he said.
At the same time, he made clear that the alliance would not dilute the Congress position on public concerns.
“Being in an alliance does not mean that we will not raise people’s issues. Being in an alliance does not mean that we will not talk about people’s legitimate demands. So there is no connection between that and this,” the J&K Congress chief said.
The remarks indicate that while the two parties are preparing to jointly face the Opposition, the Congress intends to retain space to articulate issues it considers important for the public.
BJP prepares to put govt’s record under scanner
The BJP held a separate meeting of its legislators to finalise its strategy for the session.
J&K BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Sat Sharma said the party would raise the National Conference-led government’s performance over the past two years and seek a white paper detailing the work carried out during its tenure.
“Our party will raise these issues on the streets, and our MLAs will question the government in the Assembly and ask them to issue a white paper detailing what work has actually been carried out by them,” Sharma said.
He alleged that the government had not met people’s expectations and maintained that two years constituted sufficient time for its performance to be examined. “Two years is not a short period. During these two years, they have not lived up to the expectations of the people. They have not even lived up to their own expectations,” Sharma said.
He further claimed that people he had interacted with felt disappointed with the government and questioned their decision to vote for the National Conference.
The BJP is expected to use the session to press the government for answers on its record and commitments, with its legislators preparing to raise issues concerning governance and delivery.
Sharma also spoke about the BJP’s month-long service campaign being organised in connection with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday and 25 years of his public life. He said party workers would organise programmes across the country, including activities involving children.
On the Delhi University Students’ Union elections, Sharma said the ABVP remained engaged with students and their concerns.
Jobs, power and public concerns likely to dominate
The political preparations come amid indications that jobs, power tariffs, development, regularisation of workers and other public concerns will occupy considerable space during the session.
The Opposition has already indicated its intention to question the government on its performance, while the ruling alliance is preparing to defend its record and respond to issues raised on the floor.
The Congress has also sought to distinguish its role within the coalition from the broader functioning of the government, with Karra stressing that alliance politics would not prevent the party from taking up legitimate demands.
For the NC, the emphasis is on maintaining coordination among alliance partners and ensuring that issues raised by legislators translate into government action. Gurezi’s remarks underline that position, with the NC legislator stressing that the alliance would collectively face the Opposition while keeping public issues at the centre of the proceedings.
With the NC-Congress alliance and BJP having held separate strategy meetings on the eve of the session, the political lines are clearly drawn ahead of Monday’s opening sitting. The government will seek to demonstrate its legislative and governance agenda, while the Opposition is preparing to demand answers on its performance. The real test, however, will begin on the floor of the House on Monday, when political positions, public grievances and competing claims over governance come face to face in the Assembly.
