SRINAGAR, Oct 11 ( KINS) : In the recently elected Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, BJP’s Shagun Parihar, at 29, stands out as the youngest member, while veteran National Conference politician Abdul Rahim Rather, aged 80, holds the title of the oldest member.
Parihar, who tragically lost her father and uncle in a 2018 terror attack, is the only assembly member under 30. In contrast, Rather, a seven-time MLA from Chara-e-Sharief, is the sole octogenarian in the assembly, according to data compiled by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
The ADR’s analysis reveals that the average age of MLAs in Jammu and Kashmir is 55.71 years, with 32 legislators falling within the 51 to 60 age bracket. Other notable younger members include PDP’s Waheed Para (Pulwama), Aam Aadmi Party’s Mehraj Malik (Doda), NC’s Mehar Ali (Kangan), independent Rameshwar Singh (Bani), and BJP’s Sunil Bharadwaj (Ramnagar).
Among the older members, Congress MLA from Bandipora, Nizamuddin Bhat, is the second oldest at 77, followed by CPI(M)’s Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami at 75. The assembly also includes NC’s Mubarak Gul (73) and several other 71-year-olds from the National Conference and Congress.
The ADR reported that there are 23 MLAs aged 41 to 50 and 22 between 61 and 70. Notably, there are six MLAs under 40, including Parihar, who represents Kishtwar in her first term.
Gender representation in the assembly remains unchanged, with only three women MLAs. Shamima Firdous retains her Habbakadal seat, while Sakina Masood regained her D H Pora seat. Newcomer Parihar joins them this year.
In the latest poll results, the alliance of National Conference and Congress, part of the opposition INDIA bloc, secured 48 out of 90 available seats, while the BJP improved its tally to 29, surpassing its previous high of 25 from the 2014 elections. ( KINS)
A New Generation Takes Charge: Shagun Parihar as Youngest and Abdul Rather as Oldest MLA in J&K Assembly
