J&K: BJP kicks off training programme for its MLAs ahead of budget session; Nadda, Shah to join

The two-day ‘Vidahayak Prashishan Shivir’ was jointly inaugurated by BJP national general secretary BL Santosh and Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Sat Sharma.

As the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly is scheduled to meet here for the budget session on March 3, the BJP on Friday started a two-day training workshop for its 28 legislators, the majority of whom are first-timers, with a focus on ensuring their effective participation in the proceedings.

Jammu and Kashmir BJP President Sat Paul Sharma along with senior leaders addresses a press conference. (PTI)

The two-day ‘Vidahayak Prashishan Shivir’ was jointly inaugurated by BJP national general secretary BL Santosh and Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Sat Sharma at a hotel in Katra town, 45 km from Jammu, a party leader said.

The meeting was attended by BJP national general secretary and party's J&K in-charge Tarun Chugh, MP Jugal Kishore and MP (Rajya Sabha) Ghulam Ali Khatana apart from Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma and other party legislators, 19 of whom are first-timers and require guidance on handling debates, countering opposition arguments and presenting the party’s stance effectively, he added.

BJP national president J P Nadda and Union Minister Jitendra Singh are expected to join the workshop, having a total of 10 sessions, on a concluding day on Saturday, the leader said, adding the senior party leaders will familiarize the legislators with the nitty-gritty of the legislature proceedings and raising of public issues besides the proactive approach inside and outside the assembly.

Earlier on February 23, Union Minister Jitendra Singh held a luncheon meeting with the BJP legislators here to discuss the strategy for the budget session, which is taking place for the first time after 2018 when the PDP-BJP government collapsed in the erstwhile state.

“It is the tradition of the BJP to hold such types of meetings with the elected representatives so that the vital public issues are raised forcefully in the assembly,” Singh said during the meeting.

The BJP had won 29 assembly seats, all from the Jammu region, in the assembly elections held last year.

However, one of their elected members Devender Singh Rana passed away in October, just two weeks after the formation of the National Conference-led government in the Union Territory.