The BJP's 29 MLAs - the maximum ever - in Jammu and Kashmir were given a formal welcome at the party headquarters here on Monday.
Welcoming the new legislators, BJP's J&K President, Ravinder Raina, said it was a special moment for the party to welcome its elected candidates as they have done it proud.
"The people of J&K, especially those of the Jammu division, deserve special thanks from the BJP to have given the party 29 MLAs, which is the largest number the party has ever won in the J&K assembly elections," he said.
Raina said it was due to the great leadership of PM Narendra Modi and the guidance of Home Minister, Amit Shah and party President J.P. Nadda that such a victory was achieved.
"Soon, a meeting of the legislative party will be held, in which (Central observers) Prahlad Joshiji and Tarun Chugh will be present. After the meeting of the legislative party, the next steps in the process will be decided," he said.
The BJP has now to elect the leader of its legislative party in the new UT Assembly, and party sources said Sunil Kumar Sharma, the MLA from Padder-Nagseni constituency, and Devinder Rana, elected from Nagrota constituency, are among the front runners for the post. Raina had lost the election in the Nowshera constituency of the Rajouri district, where the National Conference candidate, Surinder Choudhary, defeated him.
As the party with the second largest number of MLAs, it is set to get the post of the Leader of the Opposition in the J&K assembly.
In the 90-member Assembly, the NC has 42, the Congress six, the PDP three, the CPI-M 1, the Peoples Conference and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) one each. There are seven Independents also.
The Lt Governor is authorised to nominate 5 MLAs - two women, two from the Kashmiri Pandit community, including one woman at least, and one from West Pakistan refugees.
Under the J&K Reorganisation Act 2019, read with the J&K Reorganisation Amendment Act 2013, all the 5 nominated MLAs will have voting rights during government formation.
The NC has already staked claim to power after its newly-elected legislative party leader and former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah called on Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha and gave him letters of support from the Congress, the CPI-M, the AAP, and 6 independent candidates.
The President’s rule was revoked Sunday by the President on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet. The swearing-in ceremony of Omar Abdullah-headed government is likely to take place on Wednesday.
Three Bangladeshi women held in Agartala Railway Station
Government Railway Police (GRP) detained three Bangladeshi nationals at Agartala Railway Station on Monday evening while they were en route to Delhi.
Paediatrician shortage at Unakoti District hospital causes concern
Unakoti District Hospital has been without its sole paediatrician for over three days, creating a crisis in paediatric care. The absence has left many parents—especially those from low-income families—struggling to secure essential medical attention for their children.
NIA summons man from Sonamura in Al-Qaeda case, conducts raids
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has issued a summons to a resident of Sonamura Sub-division in Tripura’s Sepahijala District, requiring him to appear in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, by November 21, in connection with an ongoing investigation.
Five-fold increase in India-Russia bilateral trade: Russian Deputy PM
As he co-chaired the 25th meeting of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission in New Delhi along with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, Manturov also drew attention to the importance of expanding cooperation between Indian and Russian banks, mentioning that the current share of settlements in national and alternative currencies has reached almost 90 per cent.
When PM Modi went out of way to help drought-hit Maharashtra in 2016, recounts Fadnavis
Maharashtra was hit with severe drought in 2016 and the state had little resources and wherewithal to lift itself out of the crisis. Devendra Fadnavis, the then state CM turned to PM Modi for help and the latter not only provided swift assistance but also extended wide scale assistance for drawing up an effective mechanism to deal with it.
MVA most unstable vehicle with no wheels or brakes: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took a swipe at the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), saying that it is riding in a vehicle with no wheels or brakes and are fighting with each other to drive it.
India’s public sector banks clocks 11 pc growth at Rs 236 lakh crore in April-Sep FY25
Public sector banks (PSBs) showed strong performance in the first half of current fiscal (FY25) with 11 per cent annual growth as their aggregate business stood at Rs 236.04 lakh crore in the April-September period, the government said on Tuesday.
Truly insightful: Gautam Adani hosts envoys from EU, Belgium, Denmark and Germany
Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group, on Tuesday, said it was a privilege to host the ambassadors from the European Union (EU), Belgium, Denmark, and Germany, who visited the world’s largest renewable energy (RE) park in Khavda, Gujarat, and the country's largest port hub in Mundra.