Opposition to raise reservation, unemployment and NLU issues in assembly, NC MLAs hope govt will announce welfare measures

The ruling National Conference MLAs are hopeful that their goverment will announce welfare measures like free gas cylinders and electricity units during the budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly even as the opposition plans to raise the issues of reservation, unemployment and governance bias between the Kashmir and Jammu divisions.

The session commenced today on February 2 with the lieutenant governor’s address that will be followed by multi-day vote of thanks and the annual financial statement of expenditure for 2026–27 and the supplementary statement of expenditure for 2025–26 on February 6.

Two first time MLAs Devyani Rana of BJP and Aga Muntazir of PDP who won the by-elections in November 2025, will attend this session. Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Doda Mehraj Malik, who is in jail under Public Safety is likely to miss this assembly session as well.


The ruling NC MLAs claimed that this would be an ‘extraordinary budget session’ during which the government will fulfill the promises made in the election manifesto in September 2024.

“We are hopeful that the government will announce some relief measures, especially free gas cylinders and 200 units of free electricity. This will be a budget for the common man of J&K,” NC legislator from Pahalgam, Altaf Kaloo, told ET. He said that the government led by Omar Abdullah would also focus on employment generation.

Another senior legislator from NC, Hasnain Masoodi, said that the government would focus on fulfilling the promises made in the manifesto and help tackle challenges created by the floods in 2025. “We have inherited some legacy issues but now we are in government for more than a year and I am hopeful that the government will announce the welfare measures for the common man in this budget,” Masoodi told ET. However the opposition BJP, which has 29 MLAs in the 90 member assembly is not impressed with the NC’s performance and blame them for misgovernance and regional bias.

“This government is a big governance disaster. We will expose them in the assembly session. Omar Abdullah behaves as if he is the CM of Kashmir and not of Jammu. We will raise this issue in the assembly,” BJP MLA R S Pathania, told ET. The BJP plans to bring resolutions and raise issues like establishment of National Law University in Jammu, minimum wages, shrines protection act in Jammu and mining rights.

Another opposition MLA Sajad Lone of People’s Conference said that he was ‘terribly disappointed with the NC government.’ “This government should focus on creating infra and job opportunities in horticulture and tourism industries. They should focus on creating infra for AI. We have no courses for AI at undergrad level,” Lone told ET. He said that the ‘rationalization of reservation policy’ was important, but this government is brushing this issue under the carpet with some cosmetic measures.

“Even if we agree to a government report on reservation policy, it will just increase a couple of seats for open merit aspirants. A huge proportional deficit is still there,” said Lone adding, "biggest heist of votes happened in 1987 under NC and the biggest heist of jobs from Kashmir Valley started from 2007 and NC played a major role in 2010.” “Kashmiris are suffering because of the wrongdoings of NC,” said Lone.

The Awami Ittehad Party MLA, Sheikh Khurshid said he will bring a resolution seeking citizenship and legal status for women and children who returned from Pak and settled in J&K under the Government’s Rehabilitation Policy. He has also requested CM Abdullah to convene an all-parties meeting to deliberate on the participation of incarcerated Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Doda Mehraj Malik in the assembly session by passing a resolution urging the LG to ensure his presence in the House.

Khursheed has also submitted a resolution, expressing concerns over the termination of government employees in J&K under Article 311 of the constitution, without issuance of show-cause notices or providing them an opportunity to defend themselves. He will also seek the return and transfer of all power projects to the Government of J&K. He has also introduced the bill to promote participation of local youth in gravel and other minor mineral mining activities.