Srinagar, Nov 4: Veteran National Conference leader Abdul Rahim Rather, a seven-time MLA, was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory Assembly on Monday.
The assembly convened at 10:30 am, where the 78-year-old Rather, who has previously held ministerial positions under the leadership of Sheikh Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah, and Omar Abdullah, was nominated for the position. The motion for his election was moved by Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Javaid Ahmad Dar, and seconded by Arjun Singh Raju, an MLA from Ramban.
With opposition parties opting not to contest the election, the pro-tem Speaker, Mubarak Gul, officially declared Rather as the new Speaker. Following his election, Leader of the House Omar Abdullah and Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma escorted Rather to the Speaker’s chair, marking the beginning of his new role.
