J&K: Ruhullah Mehdi quits National Conference and Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, accuses party of broken promises

Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Tuesday resigned from the Lok Sabha and quit the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC), saying the party had abandoned the promises on which it won the 2024 elections.

Mehdi announced the move at a rally in Budgam marking the 26th death anniversary of his father, Aga Syed Mehdi. In a speech of about 80 minutes, he criticised NC president Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, calling his exit a "decree of freedom". He later shared a resignation letter dated 3 November and addressed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. There was no word yet on whether the Speaker had accepted it.

The reasons he gave

Mehdi said pledges to work for the restoration of Article 370, release prisoners and provide free electricity had not been kept, and described them as "just lies". He said that urging voters to back the NC in 2024 had turned out to be a mistake. In his letter, he accused the party of an about-turn after the elections.

He stopped short of launching a new party, saying he preferred to build a broader movement to restore what he called the dignity and rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He set no timeline.

NC and others respond

The NC responded sharply, calling his criticism a sign of moral bankruptcy and his speech abusive and unparliamentary. It said his resignation came too late and accused him of contributing to the party's defeat in the Budgam Assembly by-election while still a member. Earlier, party spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said the NC had hoped Mehdi would reconsider and that differences could have been settled through dialogue.

Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary said there was no threat to the Omar Abdullah government and that Mehdi's decision was his own. Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra put the exit down to personal and ideological differences and reaffirmed his party's support for the coalition. BJP leader Ram Madhav said the NC was visibly divided but that the BJP had no role in its internal rift.

Why it matters

Mehdi, a prominent religious figure and one of the NC's best-known campaigners in 2024, is the most prominent figure to leave the party since it returned to power. His exit comes as the Omar Abdullah government deals with dissent among some of its own legislators. Once the resignation takes effect, the Election Commission will need to hold a by-election for the Srinagar seat, setting up an early test of the NC's standing in the Valley.