All is not well in the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC). On Tuesday, the long-awaited expansion of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s Council of Ministers exposed deep internal fault lines. At least 11 legislators (including some Independents) skipped the oath ceremony in Srinagar, raising many an eyebrow in the audience.
Instead of presenting the new team and the united picture, the party leadership went into a damage-control huddle. The scale of resentment stunned the top brass.
Dr Bashir Ahmad Veeri (Bijbehara), Nazir Ahmad Gurezi (Gurez), Javed Ahmad Mirchal (Karnah), Mian Meher Ali (Kangan), Muzaffar Iqbal Khan (Thannamandi), Javed Iqbal Choudhary (Budhal), Engineer Khurshid Ahmad (Gulabgarh), Aijaz Ahmad Jan (Poonch), Arjun Singh Raju (Ramban), Piaray Lal (Inderwal), and Dr Rameshwar Singh (Bani) stayed away from the
ceremony.
Some of those who vent their ire against the party high command on camera claimed the party high command not only ignored them but also their constituencies by not giving fair representation to their electorate.
Their absence highlighted grievances over berth distribution, regional balance and seniority.
One of the senior party legislators from Gurez, Nazir Ahmad Gurezi, widely viewed as a contender, skipped the ceremony. Sensing the mood of the elected representatives, newly inducted ministers Mir Saifullah and Altaf Kaloo, along with other legislators, visited his Tulsi Bagh residence for damage control. Saifullah later described him as a friend with whom he spoke openly over tea, expressing confidence that the party would accommodate him.
Health Minister Sakina Itoo downplayed the events, saying members had the democratic right to express views at party headquarters and that these should not be called street protests. Other leaders emphasised leadership compulsions and the need for balanced representation.
After witnessing the full-blown resentment during the oath ceremony, the party leaders said next week will be critical. Srinagar Lok Sabha MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi is scheduled to resign from Parliament and relinquish primary membership of the NC on 3 November 2026, marking the 26th death anniversary of his father, Aga Syed Mehdi.
Ruhullah has repeatedly criticised the party (and Omar Abdullah specifically) for shifting from the 2024 election commitments on restoring Article 370, 35A, and special constitutional protections to prioritising statehood restoration within the post-2019 UT framework. The party top brass is closely watching the next move of the disgruntled party legislators, as some of them are expected to attend the public rally organised by Ruhullah on November 3.