Abdul Rahim Rather (born 1944)

Abdul Rahim Rather
Born	1944 Badipora, Budgam district, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Occupation	Politician
Years active	1977–present
Known for	Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly; seven-time MLA from Charar-i-Sharief constituency

Abdul Rahim Rather (born 1944) is a seasoned Indian politician from Jammu and Kashmir, presently holding the position of speaker in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. He has been elected as an MLA seven times, representing the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference from the Charar-i-Sharief located in Budgam district. Over his career, Rather has occupied significant posts such as speaker and finance minister within former National Conference administrations.

Early life and education

Originating from Badipora village in Budgam district, he is the son of Ghulam Qadir Rather, who was engaged in farming. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Kashmir in 1968, followed by a law degree (LL.B.) from Aligarh Muslim University in 1971. His son is involved in running a software enterprise.

Career

Rather's political journey began with his victory in the 1977 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election from Charar-i-Sharief constituency as a candidate of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference. He secured re-election for five successive terms during the 1983, 1987, 1996, 2002, and 2008 polls. However, in the 2014 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election, he was defeated by Ghulam Nabi Lone representing the JKPDP, which ended his more than three-decade tenure in that constituency.

In the 2024 polls, Rather reclaimed his seat for a seventh term within the legislature of Jammu and Kashmir.

Electoral performance

Election	Constituency	Party		Result	Votes %	Opposition Candidate	Opposition Party		Opposition vote %
2024	Charari Sharief	Template:Party name with color	Template:Won	48.48%	Ghulam Nabi Lone	Template:Party name with color	32.98%
2014	Charari Sharief	Template:Party name with color	Template:Lost	42.85%	Ghulam Nabi Lone	Template:Party name with color	50.85%
2008	Charari Sharief	Template:Party name with color	Template:Won	48.30%	Ghulam Nabi Lone	Template:Party name with color	35.78%
2002	Charari Sharief	Template:Party name with color	Template:Won	51.29%	Ghulam Nabi Lone	Template:Party name with color	41.79%
1996	Charari Sharief	Template:Party name with color	Template:Won	60.31%	Ghulam Hassan Wani	Template:Party name with color	19.69%
1987	Charari Sharief	Template:Party name with color	Template:Won	82.94%	Abdul Rashid	Template:Party name with color	9.98%
1983	Charari Sharief	Template:Party name with color	Template:Won	69.79%	Abdul Qayoom	Template:Party name with color	25.93%
1977	Charari Sharief	Template:Party name with color	Template:Won	71.96%	Abdul Qayoom	Template:Party name with color	23.22%