Jammu: The BJP is set to elect its legislature party leader in a meeting in Jammu today, a key step in the formation of the first elected government in Jammu and Kashmir after Article 370 abrogation in 2019 and downgrading of the erstwhile state to a Union Territory.
The saffron party with 29 elected MLAs in the recently held Assembly elections will choose the leader of the opposition. The National Conference-Congress alliance won the elections with NC vice president Omar Abdullah, elected as the leader of the alliance, set to take oath as Chief Minister later this week.
While NC came out as the single-largest party winning 42 seats, it managed to push the number to 47 after several independent elected legislators extended their support to the party. Overall, the NC-Congress alliance has 54 members pledging their support in the 90-member J&K Assembly.
BJP managed to put on its best show in J&K winning 29 seats and emerging as the second largest party. The highlight of the polls was the saffron party managing to get the highest vote share (25.64%) in the Assembly elections, followed by NC's 23.43% and Congress' 11.97%. However, the BJP failed to open its account in the Kashmir region.
On Sunday, the BJP appointed senior leaders Tarun Chugh and Prahlad Joshi as observers for the legislative party meeting. The president's rule was withdrawn in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, paving the way for the formation of a new government in the Union Territory.
Omar Abdullah met with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday and staked his claim to form the government. However, the date for the swearing-in ceremony has not yet been announced. The central rule was implemented in Jammu Kashmir on October 31, 2019, after the state was divided into two union territories Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
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