Srinagar, Oct 17 ( KINS) : A special division bench of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court is set to hear next week a petition challenging the authority of the J&K Lieutenant Governor to nominate five members to the Union Territory’s Legislative Assembly.
Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan agreed on Monday to form the special division bench after petitioner Ravinder Sharma requested an urgent hearing regarding the matter. The plea was initially presented to the Supreme Court, which, on October 14, declined to take up the case, advising the petitioner to approach the high court.
Sharma’s legal representative, D K Khajuria, sought an expedited listing of the petition, to which Chief Justice Rabstan agreed, scheduling the hearing for the coming Monday.
Ravinder Sharma, a former member of the legislative council and senior vice president of the Pradesh Congress Committee, was present in court for the proceedings.
The petition challenges the provisions of the J&K Reorganisation Act, which grants the Lieutenant Governor the power to nominate five MLAs. It argues that such nominations should be made with the advice and consent of the council of ministers, asserting that failure to do so violates the Constitution’s core principles, according to Sharma.
The issue arises following the recent J&K elections, where the National Conference-Congress alliance secured a majority with 48 seats in the 90-member assembly.
