Notwithstanding severe internal political turmoil within the ruling National Conference (NC) following a recent cabinet expansion, all eyes are now set on Srinagar Lok Sabha MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, who is set to formally tender his resignation as Member of Parliament and from the primary membership of the National Conference (NC) on November 3.
Ruhullah is expected to announce and submit his resignation to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and NC president Farooq Abdullah during a public rally in Budgam as it coincides with the 26th death anniversary of his father, Aga Syed Mehdi.
Meanwhile, the NC top brass appears reluctant to publicly engage disgruntled party MLAs amid broader internal discontent linked to the recent cabinet expansion.
So far, Dr Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah have not commented on camera over reports of internal bickering in the party. On Monday, as the traditional Darbar Move saw Government offices reopen in the winter capital Jammu, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah received a ceremonial Guard of Honour from a Jammu and Kashmir Police contingent upon arrival. He, however, avoided interacting with the media. On Monday, Aga Syed Ruhullah stayed at his residence and interacted with media persons, reflecting on nearly 25 years of close work with party leaders.
He is leaving to chart a new political path, with his office stating: “876 days we kept our head down serving J&K. Tomorrow, November 3, a new journey starts.” Cracks surfaced within the National Conference when, for the first time in December 2024, Aga Syed Ruhullah participated in a student protest outside Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s Gupkar residence. The woes compounded when Ruhullah stayed away from campaigning for the NC candidate in the Budgam Assembly bypoll (which the party lost to PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir, a relative), and recently faced a public challenge from Farooq Abdullah to resign and contest independently.
The ruling party faced a piquant situation when a group of disgruntled party legislators. The disgruntled members of the ruling party have reportedly sought a complete overhaul of the Omar Abdullah-led Government, including the removal of all existing ministers from their portfolios and the immediate removal of the Chief Minister’s Advisor. The National Conference legislators have also raised concerns over the party’s ideological commitments and its election manifesto.
They have demanded an aggressive push for the restoration of Article 370, Article 35A and other allied constitutional safeguards, while opposing what they perceive as compromises on these issues. The rebel faction wants the Government to take up these demands forcefully with the BJP-led central Government.