Jammu, Apr 8: The last day of ongoing budget session in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly is likely to be stormy as both ruling and opposition parties were busy in formulating strategies for the inter-district recruitment bill, which would come up for discussion in the House on Friday.
Sources said that the Legislative Assembly secretariat issued business of the House, this evening. “Only one item, `Bill for discussion and to be passed’, has been kept in the business for Friday”, sources said.
They said that the consensus on the issue eludes both the coalition partners, while the largest opposition party Peoples’ Democratic Party has already cleared that it would support the Bill only in original form.
“The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Chief Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz met number of senior Congress leaders in New Delhi and apprised them about the ground situation and views of both National Conference and Congress leaders in the state,” sources said.
They said that the Congress high command has, however, preferred to stay away from the controversy and has put the ball in Soz’s court. “However, it has been made clear that the issue, in any way, shall not be the reason for any controversy between the coalition partners.”
 The JKPCC chief, however, refused to comment on the developments. “I can only say at this stage that both Congress and National Conference would be together”, he said.
 However, political pundits in the state fear cross voting in case the Bill is put to vote in the original form. “There are some Congress leaders, who are openly opposing the Bill and they will not vote in its favour if it is put to vote without incorporating amendments, especially one moved by the NPP MLA Harshdev Singh, seeking exclusion of ST category from the preview of the proposed legislation.”
 There is also possibility of a boycott by the PDP, in case the amendments are pressed. “If PDP boycotted it will be a win win situation for the government”, a political observer said.
 The government is also under severe pressure from the Jammu based political parties over the matter. Bhartiya Janta Party, which has eleven members, and NPP, with three members, in the House will be opposing the Bill.
  The BJP, supported by several organisations, has already called a Jammu Bandh on Friday in protest against the government move to pass the Bill.
 Independent MLA Langate Rashid Ahmed, who has been pressing for the Bill, however, termed the Jammu Bandh call as unfortunate and uncalled for. “BJP is plying with fire and in case the bill is not passed it will have serious repercussions in the state”, he said.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 8 Apr 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 8 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 9 Apr 2010 00:00:00 IST