The Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir (also known as the Jammu and Kashmir Vidhan Sabha) is the lower house of the bicameral legislature of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is known as the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature.
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The first legislature of the kingdom that is now the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir was established by the government of the Maharaja of Kashmir Hari Singh in 1934.[1] However, it was considered un-democratic and un-representative by a majority of the population of the kingdom owing to the restrictions on the participation of political parties such as the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference led by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. After the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to independent India in 1947, the Maharaja's role was restricted to that of a Rajpramukh (head of state). With free democratic elections held for the first time in the state's history, the National Conference won a majority of seats in a new constituent assembly and Sheikh Abdullah became the head of government. In 1957, a new constitution was adopted by the constituent assembly, which established a bicameral legislature.[1]
The Legislative Assembly was initially composed of 100 members, later increased to 111 by the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir (Twentieth Amendment) Act of 1988.[1] Of these, 25 seats are designated for the territorial constituencies of the state that lies in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.[1][2][3] These seats remain officially vacant as per section 48 of the state constitution.[1][3] These seats are not taken into account for reckoning the total membership of the Assembly, especially for deciding quorum and voting majorities for legislation and government formation.[1][3] Hence, the total contestable and filled seats of the assembly are presently 87 - the two seats remaining may be filled by women representatives who may be nominated by the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir if he or she is of the opinion that women are not adequately represented.[1]
Members of the Legislative Assembly were serving six-year terms, that were recently reduced to five. The seats are filled by direct elections now every five years from the territorial constituencies of the state. The assembly be may dissolved before the completion of the six-year term by the Governor upon the advice of the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. The Governor may also convene special sessions of both houses of the state legislature.
The Assembly is convened and administered by the Speaker. The leader of the house is usually the Chief Minister, who is the leader of the party (or coalition of parties) whose members constitute a majority. The leader of the opposition represents the party (or coalition of parties) that has won the second-largest number of seats.
On 1 October 2001 militants belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammed carried out an attack on the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislative Assembly complex in Srinagar using a car bomb and three fidayeen suicide bombers.[5][6]
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