Ahead of the beginning of the maiden Assembly session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly in Srinagar on Monday, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) Sunday 'unanimously' elected Sunil Sharma as the leader of the legislative party.
The House will meet after a gap of more than six years on Monday, with the last session held in early 2018, a year before the reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.
Stringent security measures have been put in place for the assembly session.
47-year-old Sharma, who won from the Padder Nagseni Assembly constituency in Kishtwar, is set to assume the role of the leader of the opposition for the first time in the legislative assembly.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and BJP General Secretary Tarun Chugh were appointed central observers by the BJP's parliamentary board to elect the leader of the legislature party.
Interacting with the media persons in Srinagar Sunil Sharma said, the BJP is set to play the role of a constructive opposition in the Assembly. Sharma said he is grateful to the party's central and state leadership for giving him this responsibility.
"With the help, experience, and blessings of my MLA colleagues, I will discharge my duties. Keeping in mind the party policies and aspirations of the people, we will be the voice of the people in the assembly and outside as well," he said.
Asked about his priorities in the assembly, Sharma said, "I have just been appointed. The battle will start tomorrow. We have to see where the enemy is hiding and we will attack accordingly."
Meanwhile, the party has announced its leader Narinder Singh will be the candidate for the post of deputy speaker in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
On the other hand, Veteran National Conference leader and seven-time MLA from Charar-e-Sharief Abdul Rahim Rather is likely to become the first speaker of the legislative assembly of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the provisional calendar for the session issued by the Assembly Secretariat, the House will elect the speaker in the first sitting on Monday.
