The newly elected Members of Parliament from the National Conference (NC) made a strong and immediate push for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's full statehood on the very first day of the Parliament's winter session. Their maiden interventions in the Rajya Sabha centered on reminding the central government of its commitment to return J&K's statehood, a promise they insist must be honored.
First Day, First Show: A Powerful Debut
The winter session of Parliament convened on Monday, marking the first opportunity for the three newly elected NC Rajya Sabha members to raise their voices. The elections for the four Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir were held on October 24, with the National Conference securing a decisive victory by winning three seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured one. Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was present in the House, applauded their prompt action, calling it a "first day, first show" effort to highlight the region's key demand.
Elected Government Rendered Powerless, Say MPs
NC member Chowdry Mohammad Ramzan launched a pointed critique of the current administrative setup in Jammu and Kashmir. He stated that all authority currently rests with Lieutenant Governor Moj Sinha, leaving the elected government without any real powers. Ramzan emphasized that the 2024 elections in J&K were conducted fairly, resulting in a strong public mandate for a government led by Omar Abdullah. He argued that keeping this democratically elected government powerless "is not benefiting anyone." Omar Abdullah later took to social media platform X to note that Ramzan had used the earliest possible opportunity to remind the Centre of its statehood commitment.
Another NC MP, Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, directly invoked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise made on the floor of Parliament to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. He urged both the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to fulfill that commitment. Omar Abdullah praised Kichloo online, encouraging him to "keep espousing the issues of J&K and fighting for our rights," and added that people in the Chenab valley would be closely monitoring his performance.
Carrying Hopes and Expectations Forward
The National Conference's third Rajya Sabha member, Gurwinder Singh Oberoi, also took his oath on Monday. Omar Abdullah referred to Oberoi as a close friend and stated that he carries "a lot of hopes and expectations" from the people of the region. The collective and immediate focus of all three NC parliamentarians has firmly placed the issue of Jammu and Kashmir's political future and the restoration of its full statehood at the forefront of the parliamentary agenda as the winter session begins.
