12 legislative council seats to fall vacant in 5 months

Twelve legislative council members equalling one-third of the strength of upper house, will complete their term in the next five months, even as the lower house remains suspended since mid-June. 

The 12 MLCs, including four from Panchayat quota, would complete their tenure between December 6, 2018 and March 16, 2019.

   

All four legislators — Ghulam Nabi Monga and Sham Lal Baghat  of Congress party, and Ali Muhammad Dar and Shenaz Ganie of National Conference — who were elected by Sarpanchs and Panchs in 2012 during the NC-Congress government will complete their six-year tenure on December 6, 2018.

In March 2019, eight MLCs including a former minister would retire from the House of elders.

Among those completing the term is Naeem Akther of Peoples Democratic Party, who was a cabinet minister in the previous governments headed by late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed later by his daughter Mehbooba Mufti.

The other MLCs retiring in March 2019 include Muhammad Muzaffar Parrey, Naresh Gupta and Rani Billoria of Congress party, Yashpal Sharma and Firdous Tak of PDP, Sofi Yosouf of Bharatiys Janata Party and Showkat Hussain Ganie of NC. 

While Akther, Parrey, Ganie, Billoria and Gupta were elected as MLCs for full six-year term in 2013, Tak and Yosouf were elected for four years each in 2015 against casual vacancies created by the resignation of as many members.

An official told Greater Kashmir that vacancies of Panchayat quota can be filled anytime after Panchayat elections are over.

“The other eight vacancies would be filled on time subject to the condition that Assembly is not dissolved before March 2019,” he said, adding there was no definite time-limit for dissolution of the Assembly.

He said MLAs can vote for Upper House vacancies even when the Assembly is under suspended animation.

“During the Rajya Sabha elections in 2015, MLAs were allowed to vote despite Assembly being under suspended animation,” the official said.

Apart from the impending vacancies, two berths of urban local body (ULB) quota are lying vacant from December 2008 and 2010.

Nizamuddin Bhat of PDP and Arvinder Singh Mickey of Congress party were elected MLCs against ULB quota in 2005 after municipal polls were conducted by then PDP-Congress regime.

Bhat had resigned as member of Upper House after he was elected as MLA in 2008 while Mickey completed his full-term in 2011.

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