NC Rift Widens as Ruhullah Prepares Response to Farooq Abdullah’s Resignation

Srinagar: Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, the National Conference (NC) MP from Srinagar, signalled on Tuesday that he will soon respond to party president Farooq Abdullah’s public challenge asking him to resign from the Lok Sabha and seek a fresh mandate.

His remarks, delivered with a mix of deference and unmistakable resolve, highlighted the deepening internal strain within the NC at a moment when Jammu and Kashmir’s political climate remains unsettled. Even as senior party loyalists have attempted to downplay the discord—insisting it is confined to one individual—Ruhullah’s pointed comments suggested that the conflict has moved beyond routine intra‑party disagreement and now reflects a broader ideological fissure over the NC’s post‑2019 political direction.

Ruhullah told reporters that he would not dismiss Abdullah’s request lightly. He said it was inconceivable for him to send the veteran leader “empty‑handed,” adding that he would give his answer within a few days. The comments came a day after Abdullah questioned Ruhullah’s claim that his 2024 Lok Sabha victory was rooted primarily in personal credibility rather than the party’s organisational strength. “If you think people voted for you, resign and go back to them. We will see how many votes you get,” Abdullah had said, challenging him to test his mandate directly with the electorate.

The exchange is the latest chapter in a long‑brewing confrontation between Ruhullah and the NC leadership. For more than a year, Ruhullah has accused the party of abandoning its core post‑2019 commitments, especially the promise to fight for the restoration of Article 370 and the constitutional protections that J&K lost after August 2019. He argues that the party campaigned aggressively on these issues during the 2024 Assembly elections but shifted to a softer, statehood‑centric agenda once it returned to power under Omar Abdullah.

Ruhullah’s criticism has been sharp and sustained. He has repeatedly accused the leadership of a “volte face,” saying the party has moved from a rights‑based struggle to routine governance and a comfortable relationship with the Centre. He has described this shift as political hypocrisy, noting that before the elections, anyone who spoke only of statehood was labelled a BJP agent by the party itself. His dissent has not been confined to rhetoric; he has taken independent positions on governance, constitutional rights, and even foreign policy, questioning tariff hikes, delays in recruitments, and the non‑delivery of the NC’s promise of 200 units of free electricity.

The rift widened further in late 2024 when Ruhullah joined protests against controversial reservation amendments that drastically reduced the open‑merit category. His participation in demonstrations outside the Chief Minister’s residence, alongside student activists, PDP members and supporters of J&K Awami Ittehad Party leader Engineer Rashid, drew sharp reactions from within the party. By November 2025, he was excluded from a key Working Committee meeting—his first exclusion since 2002—signalling a deliberate attempt to sideline him from internal decision‑making.

By mid‑August 2026, Ruhullah publicly declared that he had “made up (his) mind” to resign from Parliament within months, saying he wanted to escalate the fight for constitutional restoration to “a certain level” before stepping down. He described Farooq Abdullah as a fatherly figure but proposed sweeping changes--Omar Abdullah should resign as Chief Minister and lead the constitutional battle from Delhi, while another NC leader heads the government in J&K. He said he would reconsider his resignation only if SeniorAbdullah intervened and the party realigned with its original ideological commitments.

Farooq Abdullah’s recent remarks hardened the leadership’s stance. While saying Ruhullah was free to raise Article 370 in Parliament, he criticised the MP’s approach and advised him to seek guidance from the Quran. He stressed that party candidates benefit from the organisation’s machinery and discipline, and that public dissent while holding a party ticket undermines collective responsibility. Several NC functionaries echoed this sentiment, some even questioning whether Ruhullah remained a member of the party in spirit.

Ruhullah, however, insists that his position reflects the people’s mandate rather than personal ambition or defiance. He argues that questioning leadership is legitimate when the party deviates from its manifesto and has dared the leadership to issue a formal show‑cause notice if he has violated party discipline. Before Tuesday’s remarks, he maintained that he will resign after advancing the constitutional fight further, though he remains open to reconciliation if Farooq Abdullah intervenes meaningfully.

The confrontation has raised serious questions about whether the disagreement will remain an internal NC matter or evolve into a full‑blown political rupture. Ruhullah’s mass appeal in central Kashmir, his independent political posture, and his willingness to resign could reshape the Valley’s political dynamics. “The dispute reflects a deeper ideological divide within the NC—between those advocating a maximalist push for Article 370’s restoration and those favouring pragmatic governance and incremental gains such as statehood,” said political analyst Fida Hussain.

Amid the political tension, Ruhullah was also asked about the reopening of cases related to killing of Kashmiri Pandits in the 1980s and 1990s. He said justice must be delivered but warned against turning the process into an instrument of revenge. “Everyone should be aware of Kashmiri Pandits. Justice should be delivered. There should be no revenge in the name of justice,” he said, placing his position within a framework of accountability and reconciliation.