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The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a plea challenging the power given to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Jammu and Kashmir to nominate five Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to the Union Territory Assembly.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and PV Sanjay Kumar refused to entertain the plea and asked the petitioner, Ravinder Kumar Sharma, to first approach the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the petitioner, said that such nomination by an unelected LG can throttle the electoral verdict. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, and the subsequent amendment bill in 2023 gave the LG additional powers, including that to nominate five members to the assembly -- two women members, two migrants including a woman and one member from displaced persons from Pakistan occupied Kashmir. These five nominated members will have the same powers and voting rights as other MLAs. The Congress, National Conference (NC) and the PDP have opposed this potential move, calling it an assault on democracy. (ANI)
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