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| Nominations to Upper House a litmus test for Governor | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 4: Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra, known for his honesty and integrity, is about to face yet another litmus test when the PDP-BJP coalition government sends a list of 8 candidates (4 each of the two parties) to him for consent, for the nomination to the Upper House.
Of the total 36 members in the Upper House, eight members are to be nominated by the Governor on the recommendations of the government. However, the Governor enjoys constitutional authority to give his consent or reject the nominations depending on whether the guidelines for nominating the members have been adhered to or not.
Governor Vohra has earlier rejected the nominations made by the government and has sent these back for consideration with strong observations. The guidelines stipulate that among the eight members to be nominated by the Governor, not more than three shall be persons belonging to any of the socially or economically backward classes in the State. The guidelines add that others (5) shall be persons having special knowledge or practical experience in respect of matters such as literature, science, art, co-operative movement and social service. Sources say it is unlikely that Governor Vohra will to accept the nominations sent by the government without looking into the individual merit of each candidate.
As has been reported earlier, BJP has sent four names to the government for nominations. Three of these are former MLA Ashok Khajuria, Ramesh Arora and Surinder Ambardar. PDP, on the other hand has reportedly nominated Zafar Iqbal Manhas , former Secretary of the Cultural Academy; former Deputy Speaker Mohammad Sartaj Madni, and its two-time losers from Khansahib and Kangan constituencies, Saifuddin Bhat and Bashir Ahmad Mir.
It may be recalled that eight nominated seats in the Upper House fell vacant on March 27 after the expiry of the term of its members. Coalition partners BJP and PDP have to nominate four candidates each as per the coalition agenda. The names of BJP and PDP candidates are to be submitted to the Governor in the next few days. As per norm, the Governor will then make the nominations to the Upper House on merit.
As far as the guidelines for nomination of eight candidates is concerned, only one or two among the eight candidates comply with the eligibility criteria. Ashoke Khajuria, Romesh Arora, Saifuddin Bhat, Bashir Ahmad Mir and Surinder Ambardar are neither from socially or economically backward classes, nor can they be considered having special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, art, co-operative movement and social service.
Zafar Iqbal Manhas and Sartaj Madni are the only two probables who have a literary or social background. While Zafar is a renowned literary person of the state, Madni has served the state as Deputy Speaker of the assembly and is from a knowledgeable background.
"The selection of the right candidates for nomination to the Upper House will be a litmus test for Governor N N Vohra, who has always discredited what he found contrary to constitutional and legal requirements," said a seasoned journalist and political analyst of the state.
The journalist said though Governor Vohra enjoys a smooth a working relationship with Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed, it remains to be seen whether he compromises on the guidelines set for the nomination of eight members to the Upper House. It may be recalled that in the past, Governor Vohra has turned back many important files pertaining to nominations to various organizations, with strong and valid objections. In many cases, the government was forced to change the panels recommended by for a certain office. Political analysts believe that in the matter of nomination to the Upper House, it is unlikely that Governor Vohra will his signatures on the file without invoking the guidelines set for the nominations. |
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