Buoyed by the defeat of his own party's candidate, Aga Syed Mahmood Al-Masovi, in the Budgam Assembly by-election, rebel National Conference Lok Sabha member Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi has decided to directly confront the party leadership.
After maintaining silence for several months, Mehdi on Tuesday warned his party's government, headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, over the reservation policy issue, demanding a swift resolution. He said that if the matter is not resolved by the end of the Parliament session on December 20, he will once again stand with students outside the Chief Minister's residence—just as he did with aggrieved youth last year.
It is important to mention that on December 23, 2024, Aga Syed Ruhullah had staged a protest outside the Chief Minister's residence, demanding rationalization of the reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir and capping the reservation quota at a maximum of 50 percent.
Aga Ruhullah said that the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the reservation policy is worrying and frustrating the youth. "This issue, which affects the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, especially students, must be resolved soon," he said.
Rahullah skipped the party's campaign in byelection
As reported earlier, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi skipped the campaign for the National Conference candidate, Aga Syed Mahmood Al-Masovi, in the just-concluded by-election for the Budgam assembly segment.
Although the ruling National Conference has sought to give much importance to Ruhullah's non-cooperative role in the by-elections, it is a reality that it was all due to Lok Sabha member's attitude and repeated statements that the ruling party lost the election for the first time from the segment, which had been considered its citadel for decades.
For the first time in Jammu and Kashmir's political history, the National Conference has lost an election from the Budgam Assembly seat, where Shia voters have a significant presence. Since 1962, the NC had lost the Budgam seat only once—in 1972, when the party did not contest the polls.
In the high-stakes by-election, PDP candidate Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi defeated NC nominee Aga Syed Mahmood Al-Masovi by a margin of 4,478 votes. The PDP candidate secured 21,576 votes, while the NC candidate received 17,098 votes. BJP candidate Aga Syed Mohsin Mosvi managed only 2,619 votes, trailing behind two Independent candidates: Nazir Ahmed Khan with 3,089 votes and Muntazir Mohi-ud-Din, who secured 3,030 votes.
"Understanding the suffering and frustration of the youth"
Aga Syed Ruhullah targeted the government and administration, questioning how long it would take for the authorities to "understand the suffering and frustration" of the youth. The constant delays, he said, are "suffocating and marginalizing the entire young generation." He also referred to the controversy over admissions to MBBS seats at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, saying that this should serve as a wake-up call for the government.
Taking aim at Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Mehdi said that last year the government had promised to resolve the reservation policy issue within six months, but those six months had stretched into a year. He added that before the Budgam Assembly elections, officials and the elected government had claimed that the matter would be settled within a few days, "but those few days have now exceeded a month."
"I don't think this matter will be resolved soon"
He said, "I don't think this matter will be resolved soon. Even if it is resolved, the damage caused will be difficult to repair. The recruitment process for government department jobs has started, but no initiative is being taken to rationalize the reservation policy."
The rebel National Conference MP, targeting the Chief Minister, questioned whether someone's personal ego was obstructing the process — and whether an entire generation was being punished because he (Aga Ruhullah) spoke out on their behalf. Mehdi said he would step aside from the issue for a month so that he would not be seen as an obstacle, and urged the government to meet with the students and resolve the matter amicably.
He warned that if the issue remains unresolved after the Parliament session ends on December 20, he will once again stage a sit-in with the students, similar to the protest held outside the Chief Minister's residence last December.
