Srinagar, Feb 4: While the Budget Session of Parliament began on January 31, Jammu and Kashmir continues to be unrepresented in Rajya Sabha (the Upper House).
The four Rajya Sabha members from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir had retired in February last year. Since then the four J&K seats are lying vacant there.
The legislative assembly elects the Rajya Sabha members. J&K assembly was dissolved on November 21, 2018 and no fresh elections held since then, so no new member could be sent to the Upper House. As fresh assembly polls in J&K are yet to be held, the union territory will continue to remain unrepresented in Rajya Sabha for some more time.
Last year the terms of Rajya Sabha members from J&K , Nazir Ahmed Laway (PDP) and Shamsher Singh Manhas (BJP) had ended on February 10, while that of Ghulam Nabi Azad (Congress) and Mir Muhammed Fayaz (PDP) on February 15.
Laway and Mir are not in PDP now. Infact serious difference had developed between them and their party leadership much before their terms in Rajya Sabha had come to an end. They later joined People’s Conference.
Azad was elected to Rajya Sabha several times from Jammu and Kashmir. He was appointed leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha in 2014 after the BJP led National Democratic Alliance got majority in Lok Sabha polls and formed the new government in Centre.
Interestingly, the senior Congress leader got re-elected to the Rajya Sabha from Jammu and Kashmir also in 2015 even as PDP-BJP coalition was having majority of seats in assembly and had formed the government in the erstwhile state. Azad’s role as leader of opposition remained very significant and he made his presence felt in a strong way. At a time when Congress was seeming directionless and the party high command allegedly showing no interest in briefing and guiding Azad about the party’s line and approach on key and other routine issues, it was left on the veteran leader himself to plan things as leader of opposition and execute those on the floor of the house. There was total communication breakdown at various important levels in Congress and absence of required vital meetings and parleys, thus affecting the overall performance of party on different fronts.
Leaders cutting across party lines showered praises on Azad for his role in Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with moist eyes bade farewell to Azad and recalled his services not only in Rajya Sabha but as Chief Minister of J&K particularly when some tourists from Gujarat were killed and injured in an attack here. The Congress leader was recently awarded Padma Bushan by Government of India for his contribution in the field of “public affairs.”