Srinagar, Oct 23 (NationPress) The autumn session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly commenced on Thursday, with the House honoring former state governor Satya Pal Malik along with six other former lawmakers.

Prior to entering the Assembly, members of the ruling National Conference (NC) and Congress held a silent protest outside the Assembly, calling for the release of detained Doda MLA Mehraj Malik.

Malik was apprehended in September under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for allegedly causing disturbances in Doda district.

At the session's opening, NC MLA from Sonawari constituency, Hilal Lone, raised concerns regarding Malik’s arrest. The Speaker, Abdul Rahim Rather, advised him to take his seat while assuring that he would allow him to address the issue later.

Encouraging members to fully utilize the nine-day Assembly session, Rather stated, “We have a limited timeframe, and we should strive to make the most of it. Numerous members and leaders have passed away between the third and fourth sessions of the Assembly, and the House will pay tribute to them.”

The session began with obituary references honoring former J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik, who died on August 5.

Additional former leaders recognized included former Minister Gulchain Singh Charak, former MLA Dina Nath Bhagat, ex-MLCs Ghulam Nabi Shaheen, Ramesh Arora, and Sardar Mohammad Akhlaq Khan, along with former legislator Mohammad Sultan Pandithpori.

On Friday, the House will conduct a vote to elect four Rajya Sabha members from Jammu and Kashmir. These seats have remained vacant since 2021 due to delayed Assembly elections.

While three NC candidates—Muhammed Ramzan Chowdhary, Sajad Kichloo, and Shami Oberoi—appear to have an advantage, the fourth seat is expected to see a tight race between BJP J&K president Sat Sharma and NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar.

Dar will require support from not only his party members but also from opposition groups such as PDP, Awami Ittehad Party, and AAP to secure the fourth seat, where the BJP currently holds an advantage with 28 votes compared to NC and its allies' 24.

This session is anticipated to be contentious, with topics like the restoration of statehood, reservation policies, and the regularization of thousands of daily wagers expected to dominate discussions.

Following the NC government's completion of one year in office last week, the opposition is likely to bring up the promises made by the ruling party in its manifesto ahead of last year's J&K elections.

Officials indicate that the MLAs have submitted 450 questions to be addressed during the session, alongside 13 private members’ bills and over 50 resolutions for discussion.

The House will also attempt to resolve the status of nearly three dozen bills that were introduced during the budget session but are still pending.

Voting for the four Rajya Sabha seats is set for Friday, with elected members of the Assembly participating.

The J&K and Ladakh High Court has instructed authorities to ensure that detained Doda MLA Mehraj Malik is enabled to vote in the Rajya Sabha elections. Authorities have confirmed that the detained MLA will be provided with a postal ballot to exercise his democratic right.