Srinagar MP Agha Syed Ruhullah Mehdi to resign from National Conference and Lok Sabha

Srinagar MP Agha Syed Ruhullah Mehdi has announced that he will resign from both the National Conference (NC) party and his membership of the Lok Sabha. Ruhullah Mehdi will formally announce this resignation today, 3 November, at a public meeting to be held in Budgam on the occasion of the 26th death anniversary of his father, Agha Syed Mehdi. He has alleged that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and party leader Farooq Abdullah are now backtracking on the promises made to the public regarding Article 370 during the 2024 Assembly elections.

According to a report by Dainik Bhaskar, Ruhullah Mehdi has accused the party leadership of weakening ideological commitments. He stated that the party is now repenting or retreating from its promise to challenge the Centre's decisions on Article 370. Ruhullah Mehdi had previously served as a three-time MLA from Budgam and was elected as the MP from Srinagar in 2024.

Meanwhile, 25 National Conference MLAs in Jammu-Kashmir had on Sunday issued a 14-day ultimatum to the party leadership. These MLAs have made it clear that if their demands are not met, they will withdraw their support from the government. The MLAs have decided to form a 4-member delegation to discuss this matter. This delegation will be led by senior party leader and Gur𝗲ja MLA Nazir Ahmed Guruji and Thanamandi MLA Muzaffar Iqbal Khan. This delegation will meet party president Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to hand over a memorandum of their demands. The MLAs have decided to wait for the leadership's response and subsequently decide on the further strategy.

Amidst this atmosphere of political instability, the issue of cabinet expansion is also under discussion. The cabinet was expanded on 27 October, where LG Manoj Sinha administered the oaths. In this expansion, 4 National Conference MLAs—Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mir Saifullah, Shamima Firdaus, and Altaf Ahmed Kallu—were made ministers. However, in this process, independent MLA Satish Sharma was removed from the cabinet. Many senior MLAs whose names were being discussed, including Nazir Ahmed Guruji and Mubarak Gul, did not get a place in this expansion. Mubarak Gul was later appointed as the party general secretary by Farooq Abdullah in place of Ali Mohammad Sagar.

Due to these internal disputes within the party, heavy resentment is also being seen among workers. Workers held a protest demonstration with slogans at the party office in Srinagar. Late last night, workers held a protest in support of 7-time MLA Mubarak Gul near Srinagar's Eidgah.

On the other hand, former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah spoke again on the issue of Kashmir on Saturday. He stated that the government in Delhi will not be able to help us. Referring to a neighbouring country, he said that it is raising the issue of Kashmir everywhere and is saving us; otherwise, the fate of our government would not be so bright.