Abdul Rahim Rather Elected First Speaker of J&K Legislative Assembly

Abdul Rahim Rather, a veteran leader from the National Conference and a seasoned MLA, has been elected as the first speaker of the legislative assembly for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The election, conducted by Protem Speaker Mubarak Gul, was uncontested. This marks a historic moment for the new assembly.

In a significant development, Abdul Rahim Rather, a long-serving leader of the National Conference, has been elected as the inaugural speaker of the legislative assembly for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The election took place on Monday and was conducted by Protem Speaker Mubarak Gul. Rather's election did not face any opposition challenge, and he was elected through a voice vote.

The motion to nominate Rather for the position was initiated by Minister for Agriculture Javed Ahmad Dar and seconded by NC's MLA Ramban Arjun Singh Raju. The five-day assembly session commenced with this pivotal election, marking Rather’s return as a speaker after having held similar responsibilities in the erstwhile state's legislative assembly.

Escorted to the chair by Leader of the House Omar Abdullah and Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, Rather takes up the role in an assembly meeting after a hiatus of more than six years. The last session occurred before Jammu and Kashmir's reformation into two union territories.