NC leader Rather likely to be next Speaker of J&K Legislative Assembly

Srinagar: Veteran National Conference leader and former Minister Abdul Rahim Rather is expected to be elected as the next Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Monday.
The Assembly will meet on Monday after a gap of more than six years.
According to the agenda issued by the J&K Legislative Assembly Secretariat, the Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Cooperatives, and Election Javid Ahmed Dar will move the motion to elect Rather as Speaker. MLA Arjun Singh is to second the motion.
With 42 legislators, the NC holds a majority, and its coalition partner, the Congress, with six seats, along with five independents, is supporting NC. In total, the NC-Congress coalition commands the support of 55 legislators, including CPI (M) MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 29 legislators in the Assembly.
As per the schedule, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will address the Assembly at 11:30 AM. Half an hour later, the elected Speaker will present a copy of the Lieutenant Governor’s address to the members of the Assembly.
UNI