Rift widens in the ruling National Conference as the party leadership did not invite its displeased and increasingly vocal Lok Sabha member from Srinagar, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, to the crucial two-day Working Committee meeting that began in the summer capital of the Union Territory.
His absence has once again underscored the growing gulf between the influential Shia leader and the party's top brass. The meeting, chaired by NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah and attended by Vice President and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, saw the participation of all Working Committee members and special invitees.
However, Ruhullah's conspicuous absence triggered fresh speculation about deepening dissent within the party ranks.
Speaking to reporters in Ganderbal, Ruhullah said he had no information about the meeting and insisted that he was not invited. "If the Working Committee meeting is going on, I am a permanent member of it. This is the first time since 2002 that I have not been invited," he said, calling the development unprecedented in his more than two-decade association with the committee.
The Srinagar MP has, in recent months, openly clashed with the party over its stand on key political issues, particularly reservations and the NC's post-election conduct. He reiterated that the party must honour the commitments it made during the 2024 Assembly campaign, especially on safeguarding constitutional protections linked to Article 370.
"We made promises to the people that we would fight for the return of protections linked to Article 370. We received votes on that promise. We cannot switch to a different language after getting that mandate," he said in a pointed message to the leadership.
Ruhullah warns party leadership on reservation issue
On Tuesday, the rebel National Conference parliamentarian warned his party's government, headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, over the contentious reservation policy issue, demanding an immediate 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 may be recalled that on December 23, 2024, Ruhullah staged a protest outside the Chief Minister's residence, demanding rationalization of the reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir and capping the total quota at a maximum of 50 percent.
Ruhullah said 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.
"More than a year has passed. If this matter remains unresolved after a month, I will again sit with the students until the issue is settled," he warned, signaling that he may intensify his activism outside the party structure if necessary.
Ruhullah further cautioned that mainstream political parties risk losing credibility if they fail to honour their manifestos. "If the party does not follow its own manifesto, it will lose people's trust — and losing trust is the biggest loss," he said, adding that the public now expects political parties to demonstrate consistency between their promises and their actions.
Although the National Conference has attempted to downplay internal differences, Ruhullah's repeated public criticism and his absence from a key organisational meeting indicate a clear escalation.
Party sources say the leadership may soon attempt to "pacify and reconcile" with the outspoken MP, but his growing defiance suggests that the internal debate within the NC is far from over.
