Ruhullah Walks Out, MLAs Push Back: The Trouble Building Inside Omar Abdullah's NC

Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi's resignation from the National Conference on Tuesday came at a time when the ruling party was already dealing with discontent within its ranks. Days after Omar Abdullah expanded his cabinet, a group of NC legislators began holding meetings to discuss their grievances, while veteran leader Mubarak Gul publicly expressed his displeasure over being left out of the government.

Ruhullah announced his resignation at a gathering in Budgam to mark the death anniversary of his father, Aga Syed Mehdi, who was killed in a militant attack in 2000. The Srinagar MP accused the NC leadership of retreating from its electoral commitments, particularly on the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's constitutional rights, bringing his 24-year association with the party to an end.

The NC responded by accusing the BJP of orchestrating Ruhullah’s departure as part of an alleged “Operation Lotus” to weaken the party, a charge he rejected. 

With legislators questioning the functioning of the government and Ruhullah challenging the party’s political direction, the developments have brought the NC’s internal differences into the open.

The Shadow Of 2010

Among those present at the Budgam gathering was Muhammad Ashraf Mattoo, father of Tufail Mattoo, the 17-year-old student whose killing on June 11, 2010, became a flashpoint for months of unrest across Kashmir.

Tufail was killed after being struck by a tear-gas shell in Srinagar. His death triggered widespread protests and killings during that summer. Omar Abdullah was then Chief Minister, and Ruhullah was a minister in his government.

Sixteen years later, Mattoo was at Ruhullah's gathering, still seeking justice for his son.

Addressing the crowd, Mattoo spoke about his prolonged legal struggle and expressed support for Ruhullah, saying he saw a ray of hope in him. The case concerning his son's death, he said, remained pending in court.

Ruhullah then entrusted Mattoo with his resignation letter, asking him to personally deliver it to NC president Farooq Abdullah.

In his letter, Ruhullah accused the NC of abandoning the political commitments on which it had sought votes. He argued that the constitutional changes of August 2019, while an assault on Jammu and Kashmir's rights, had also presented an opportunity for the party to lead a sustained political struggle for their restoration.

Instead, he alleged, the NC had chosen to concentrate on administering the Union Territory. “Personally, I saw this as a betrayal,” he wrote.

During his speech, Ruhullah criticised Omar Abdullah's government over Article 370, political prisoners, reservation policy and unfulfilled welfare promises.

He questioned its progress on manifesto commitments, including employment and free electricity, and accused the party of reducing its political demands to the restoration of statehood rather than pursuing the larger question of Jammu and Kashmir's constitutional status.

Ruhullah separately sent his resignation as Srinagar MP to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. He also indicated that he intended to build a political movement around the restoration of rights and dignity, although he has not announced its organisational structure or future electoral plans.

Operation Lotus?

A day after Ruhullah’s announcement, addressing reporters in Srinagar, alongside Banihal MLA Sajad Shaheen, Hazratbal legislator Salman Ali Sagar accused the BJP of successfully carrying out an "Operation Lotus" to push Ruhullah out of the party.

Sagar said the development was unfortunate for the NC and alleged that the BJP had been attempting to weaken the party by encouraging defections and exploiting internal disagreements.

He cited the departures of former NC leaders Devender Singh Rana and Surjeet Singh Slathia as examples of earlier attempts to draw leaders away from the party.

Sagar maintained that Ruhullah had every democratic right to question the leadership and express dissent. But he argued that the Srinagar MP should have raised his grievances through the party's internal forums rather than resigning.

He also questioned why Ruhullah had not approached other NC legislators to build support for the issues he was raising.

Shaheen defended the party's organisational strength, maintaining that the departure of an individual would not determine the NC's future. He also questioned Ruhullah's record in Parliament and his criticism of the party leadership.

The legislators accused Ruhullah of directing much of his criticism at Omar Abdullah while failing to adequately challenge the BJP and the PDP. The NC also criticised his invocation of the 2010 unrest, pointing out that he had served as a minister in Omar Abdullah's government during that period. The allegations followed remarks by BJP leader Ram Madhav suggesting that Ruhullah's Budgam gathering had the blessings of BJP supporters.

Ruhullah rejected the allegations on November 5, denying any association with Madhav. He maintained that his disagreement with the NC arose from what he described as the party's surrender before the BJP.

Madhav also denied BJP involvement in the NC's internal affairs. The NC did not present evidence establishing BJP coordination in Ruhullah's resignation. Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary separately accused the BJP of attempting to destabilise the ruling party. While the NC adopted a confrontational position towards Ruhullah, its response to the disgruntled legislators has been markedly different. Party leaders have sought to play down suggestions of rebellion and expressed confidence that their grievances can be addressed through dialogue.

Discontent Within

The internal discontent followed Omar Abdullah’s October 27 cabinet expansion, in which Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mir Saifullah, Shamima Firdous and Altaf Ahmad Wani were inducted into the Council of Ministers, while Satish Sharma was dropped. Several senior legislators who had expected ministerial positions were left disappointed. 

At least, 17 NC legislators and an independent MLA reportedly held a closed-door meeting at the Srinagar residence of Lolab legislator Qaysar Jamshaid Lone. Further meetings followed, including gatherings at the residences of Gulmarg MLA Pirzada Farooq Ahmad Shah and Gurez MLA Nazir Ahmad Gurezi.

According to sources, the legislators’ demands include cabinet restructuring, greater ministerial accountability, wider consultation with elected representatives and changes in the party’s organisational structure. Some have sought the replacement of Omar’s adviser Nasir Aslam Wani and questioned the influence of the Chief Minister’s inner circle. Other demands include regular meetings of the party’s working committee, the formation of a disciplinary committee and stronger efforts to secure the restoration of statehood and constitutional safeguards.

A senior NC legislator also called for changes within the party, expressing concern over the growing influence of certain individuals in its functioning. He maintained that the intention was to strengthen the organisation rather than cause a split.

“No one wants to break the party, but we want to make it stronger,” a leader said, however, acknowledging concerns about the Chief Minister’s inner circle but maintained that the issues could be resolved internally. 

Among the senior leaders whose dissatisfaction has become public is Mubarak Gul, the six-time legislator from Eidgah and former Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. His exclusion from the cabinet prompted demonstrations by supporters demanding that he be accommodated in the government.

On October 27, Farooq Abdullah appointed Gul as the party’s general secretary following Sagar’s induction into the cabinet. An October 30 order subsequently directed Sagar to continue as general secretary until further orders. 

Gul announced a press conference for November 4 to discuss his position and future course of action but subsequently postponed it. He said party colleagues and friends had advised him against holding it. 

He declined to disclose his differences with the leadership, saying he would speak at an appropriate time. “I am a fighter, and I will keep fighting,” he said.

His son, Younus Gul, was more forthcoming, questioning the treatment of a leader who had devoted decades to the NC. 

“Asking for your right is not rebellion,” he said, arguing that seeking recognition for his father’s political service should not be interpreted as disloyalty.

The postponement came amid efforts to resolve the grievances, although there was no public confirmation that Gul’s concerns had been addressed. 

On November 5, NC legislator Salman Ali Sagar said Omar Abdullah had begun engaging with dissatisfied party members and that the leadership was working to address their grievances. Rejecting suggestions of a rebellion, he maintained that differences of opinion were natural within the party and could be resolved through dialogue.

An Old Rift

Unlike the legislators seeking changes within the NC, Ruhullah had been publicly questioning the party's political direction for some time.

A three-time legislator from Budgam and a former minister, he was elected to Parliament from Srinagar on an NC ticket in 2024. His differences with the leadership became particularly visible after the party returned to power in the Assembly elections later that year.

In December 2024, he joined students protesting reservation policy outside the Chief Minister's residence in Srinagar. He subsequently criticised the government's approach towards political prisoners, constitutional rights and the restoration of Article 370.

The central disagreement concerned the NC's increasing emphasis on statehood as an immediate objective.

Ruhullah argued that the party had failed to sustain the political campaign it had promised against the constitutional changes of August 2019.

The differences were also visible during the Budgam Assembly by-election, held after Omar Abdullah vacated the constituency to retain Ganderbal.

PDP candidate Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi, Ruhullah's cousin, defeated the NC candidate. Ruhullah had declined to campaign for his party. The result was a setback for the NC in a constituency where Ruhullah and his family retain considerable influence.

His departure now raises questions about his future political plans. While he has indicated that he intends to build a movement, he has not announced whether it will eventually take the form of an electoral party. The formal status of his parliamentary resignation also remains subject to the prescribed process.

A Time for Introspection

Political analyst Siddiq Wahid agrees that Ruhullah’s resignation needs to be viewed in the context of his longstanding differences with the NC leadership. He cautions, however, against predicting its consequences too early.

Much of what is happening within Kashmir's political circles remains opaque, he observes. It is difficult to determine the extent of the discontent within the NC or whether Ruhullah will join another party or build an organisation of his own.

A political source familiar with developments in Kashmir similarly points to considerable political activity taking place behind closed doors, making it difficult to predict where the present disagreements might lead.

Wahid believes the developments call for introspection within the National Conference, particularly over how the leadership has handled internal dissent. He emphasises the need for greater internal democracy and dialogue, and for the party to examine how it responds to differences within its ranks.

Wahid also draws attention to the limited powers of the elected government in Jammu and Kashmir, raising questions about what an elected administration can meaningfully achieve under the present constitutional arrangement.

Even within those limitations, the party needs to reflect on its political direction, its decisions and its relationship with the people it represents.