Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly
Encyclopedia
The Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir (also known as the Jammu and Kashmir Vidhan Sabha
) is the lower house
of the bicameral legislature
of the India
n state of Jammu and Kashmir
, which is known as the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature.
in 1934. However, it was considered un-democratic and un-representative by a majority of the population of the kingdom owing to the restrictions on the participation of political parties such as the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference led by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. After the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to independent India in 1947, the Maharaja's role was restricted to that of a Rajpramukh
(head of state). With free democratic elections held for the first time in the state's history, the National Conference won a majority of seats in a new constituent assembly
and Sheikh Abdullah became the head of government. In 1957, a new constitution was adopted by the constituent assembly, which established a bicameral legislature.
. These seats remain officially vacant as per section 48 of the state constitution. These seats are not taken into account for reckoning the total membership of the Assembly, especially for deciding quorum
and voting majorities for legislation and government formation. Hence, the total contestable and filled seats of the assembly are presently 87 - the two seats remaining may be filled by women representatives who may be nominated by the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir if he or she is of the opinion that women are not adequately represented.
s now every five years from the territorial constituencies of the state. The assembly be may dissolved before the completion of the six-year term by the Governor upon the advice of the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. The Governor may also convene special session
s of both houses of the state legislature.
. The leader of the house is usually the Chief Minister, who is the leader of the party (or coalition of parties) whose members constitute a majority. The leader of the opposition represents the party (or coalition of parties) that has won the second-largest number of seats.
carried out an attack on the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislative Assembly complex in Srinagar
using a car bomb and three fidayeen suicide bombers.
Vidhan Sabha
The Vidhan Sabha or the Legislative Assembly is the lower house or the sole house of the provincial legislature in the different states of India. The same name is also used for the lower house of the legislatures for two of the union territories, Delhi and Pondicherry...
) is the lower house
Lower house
A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
of the bicameral legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
of the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
, which is known as the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature.
History
The first legislature of the kingdom that is now the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir was established by the government of the Maharaja of Kashmir Hari SinghHari Singh
Maharaja Hari Singh was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in India.He was married four times...
in 1934. However, it was considered un-democratic and un-representative by a majority of the population of the kingdom owing to the restrictions on the participation of political parties such as the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference led by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. After the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to independent India in 1947, the Maharaja's role was restricted to that of a Rajpramukh
Rajpramukh
Rajpramukh was an administrative title in India which existed from India's independence in 1947 until 1956. Rajpramukhs were the appointed governors of certain of India's provinces and states....
(head of state). With free democratic elections held for the first time in the state's history, the National Conference won a majority of seats in a new constituent assembly
Constituent assembly
A constituent assembly is a body composed for the purpose of drafting or adopting a constitution...
and Sheikh Abdullah became the head of government. In 1957, a new constitution was adopted by the constituent assembly, which established a bicameral legislature.
Organisation
The Legislative Assembly was initially composed of 100 members, later increased to 111 by the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir (Twentieth Amendment) Act of 1988. Of these, 25 seats are designated for the territorial constituencies of the state that lies in Pakistan-administered KashmirPakistan-administered Kashmir
Azad Kashmir borders the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west, the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan to the north west, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of People's Republic of China to the north and the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir, to the east.A...
. These seats remain officially vacant as per section 48 of the state constitution. These seats are not taken into account for reckoning the total membership of the Assembly, especially for deciding quorum
Quorum
A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly necessary to conduct the business of that group...
and voting majorities for legislation and government formation. Hence, the total contestable and filled seats of the assembly are presently 87 - the two seats remaining may be filled by women representatives who may be nominated by the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir if he or she is of the opinion that women are not adequately represented.
Tenure and functions
Members of the Legislative Assembly were serving six-year terms, that were recently reduced to five. The seats are filled by direct electionDirect election
Direct election is a term describing a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the person, persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are chosen depends upon the...
s now every five years from the territorial constituencies of the state. The assembly be may dissolved before the completion of the six-year term by the Governor upon the advice of the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. The Governor may also convene special session
Special session
In a legislature, a special session is a period when the body convenes outside of the normal legislative session. This most frequently occurs in order to complete unfinished tasks for the year , such as outlining the government's budget for the next fiscal year, biennium, or other period...
s of both houses of the state legislature.
Office bearers
The Assembly is convened and administered by the SpeakerSpeaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
. The leader of the house is usually the Chief Minister, who is the leader of the party (or coalition of parties) whose members constitute a majority. The leader of the opposition represents the party (or coalition of parties) that has won the second-largest number of seats.
- Speaker of the Assembly: Mohammad Akbar LoneMohammad Akbar LoneMohammad Akbar Lone is an Indian Kashmiri politician who is the current speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir.-References:...
- Leader of the House: Chief Minister Omar AbdullahOmar AbdullahOmar Abdullah , born 10 March 1970 in United Kingdom, is an Indian Kashmiri politician and the scion of Kashmir's 'first family', the Abdullah family who became the 11th and the youngest Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir after forming a government in coalition with the Congress party, on...
(National Conference) - Leader of the Opposition: A.R. Rather
Terrorist attack
On 1 October 2001 militants belonging to Jaish-e-MohammedJaish-e-Mohammed
Jaish-e-Mohammed is a Pakistani-based, militant Islamic group established by Maulana Masood Azhar in March 2000...
carried out an attack on the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislative Assembly complex in Srinagar
Srinagar
Srinagar is the summer seasonal capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. It is one of the largest cities in India not to have a Hindu majority. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats...
using a car bomb and three fidayeen suicide bombers.