J&K: LG's power to nominate 5 MLAs sparks massive row
The power of the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Jammu and Kashmir to nominate five members to the assembly has sparked a major controversy in the Union Territory. The Congress, its ally National Conference (NC), and Mehbooba Mufti's Peoples's Democratic Party (PDP) say this power undermines the people's mandate and could be misused to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They say their fears are heightened by exit polls predicting the Congress-NC alliance in the lead.
Delimitation and new rule favoring BJP
If the five members are nominated, the Assembly's strength will expand to 95 members, and the majority mark for government formation will increase from 46 to 48. The J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019, states that the LG may designate two members to the Legislative Assembly to give representation to women if he believes they are underrepresented. The Act was further revised in 2023. Following the modification, the LG now has the authority to designate three more members to the Assembly.
BJP's solo run and LG's special power
The BJP, which fought this election alone, has never ruled Jammu and Kashmir on its own. It had formed a government with the PDP after the 2014 election but had pulled out of the alliance in 2018. Opposition parties claim that LG Manoj Sinha's special power to nominate five members could help the BJP form a government in the erstwhile state.
Opposition parties' response to LG's nomination power
The Congress has vehemently opposed this move, calling it an "assault on democracy, the people's mandate, and the fundamental principles of the Constitution." The NC has threatened to move court if this happens. Party patriarch and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah said, "What they want to do, I do not know. However, if they do it, we will go to the Supreme Court."
