Aga Ruhullah Mehdi Says He Will Resign as Srinagar MP and Quit National Conference on November 3
Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi has said he will resign from the Lok Sabha and quit the National Conference (NC) on November 3, the 26th death anniversary of his father, Aga Syed Mehdi. Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Ruhullah said his decision was linked to growing differences with the NC leadership over its stand on the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Articles 370 and 35A.
Speaking to NDTV, Ruhullah confirmed that he plans to resign from Parliament as well as the primary membership of the National Conference, citing what he described as “ideological grounds”.
The development comes days after NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah challenged Ruhullah to resign from his Lok Sabha seat and seek a fresh mandate from voters.
Ruhullah said he did not want to remain part of what he called “lies and betrayal”.
“I will formally send my resignation letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker and NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah on November 3,” he told NDTV.
He said November 3 was chosen because it marks the death anniversary of his father, who was killed in a militant IED blast.
Ruhullah plans public rally in Budgam
Ruhullah is also planning a major public rally in Budgam on his father’s death anniversary, where he is expected to formally announce his resignation and explain his reasons for leaving Parliament and the NC.
He said he still had some commitments to complete before submitting his resignation, including the distribution of funds under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS).
He also said he had invited several MPs to Srinagar for a conference as part of his efforts to seek the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional rights.
Rift with National Conference leadership
Ruhullah has repeatedly criticised the National Conference leadership, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, accusing the party of moving away from its earlier position on the restoration of special status.
He said the NC had promised voters during the 2024 elections that it would fight for the restoration of Article 370 and had included the commitment in its election manifesto.
According to Ruhullah, the party changed its position after winning the election.
“During elections, they promised to fight for restoration of Article 370. They put it in their manifesto. But soon after winning elections, they reneged on their commitment,” he said.
Ruhullah also rejected the argument that the BJP, which removed the special status provisions in 2019, would not allow Article 370 to be restored.
He questioned why the NC had made the promise during the election if it already knew about the BJP’s position.
“It’s clear that they lied to people during elections and I will not be party to this lie and betrayal,” Ruhullah said, adding that his commitments and principles would not change according to circumstances.
May contest Srinagar by-election as independent
After resigning, Ruhullah said he could challenge the National Conference in the expected Srinagar Lok Sabha by-election.
He said he would consult people before deciding whether to contest and indicated that he could stand as an independent candidate.
“Once by-elections are announced, I will consult people and I may contest the by-election as an independent candidate,” he said.
Ruhullah’s relationship with the National Conference has been strained for some time.
The differences became more visible after the NC lost the Budgam Assembly by-election last year. The seat had been vacated by Omar Abdullah after he won two constituencies in the 2024 Assembly elections.
Ruhullah had refused to campaign for the NC candidate and had openly criticised the Chief Minister. Following the defeat, Omar Abdullah accused Ruhullah of committing “political suicide”.
Farooq Abdullah challenges Ruhullah to seek fresh mandate
The latest confrontation followed remarks by Farooq Abdullah in Srinagar on Tuesday.
Responding to Ruhullah’s claim that his 2024 Lok Sabha victory was mainly due to his personal support rather than the NC’s mandate, Farooq Abdullah challenged him to resign and return to the voters.
“If you think people voted for you, resign and go back to them. We will see how many votes you get,” Farooq Abdullah said.
Ruhullah responded the following day, saying: “It is not possible that Dr Sahib asks me for something and I send him back empty-handed.”
His announcement to resign on November 3 could now lead to a fresh political contest in Srinagar and further deepen the ongoing differences between Ruhullah and the National Conference leadership.
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