Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi walked away from the National Conference on Tuesday, ending an association that lasted nearly 24 years and opening the deepest crisis yet for Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s government. He announced it before a large gathering at Behisht-e-Zehra Park in Budgam, signed his Lok Sabha resignation on the spot, and said that from 2:40 pm on Tuesday he was no longer part of the party.
The timing was deliberate. Tuesday, November 3, marked the 26th death anniversary of his father, Aga Syed Mehdi Mustafa, who was assassinated in 2000. Ruhullah, 48, a prominent Shia cleric from Budgam, framed his exit as a matter of principle rather than ambition. He said he could not continue with a party that, in his words, had moved away from its promises and was betraying the people who voted for it in the 2024 Assembly elections.
“I represent the legacy of a martyr,” he told the crowd, describing the signed resignation as a document of his freedom. He said leaving the party did not mean joining another one.
What Ruhullah actually said
Ruhullah’s sharpest words were reserved for the leadership he had served alongside for more than two decades. He accused Omar Abdullah of diluting the party’s stand on Article 370 and statehood, and called the chief minister incompetent in his handling of the government. In one of the most quoted lines of the day, he said Omar Abdullah had spoken the language the BJP wanted people to speak, and called that a betrayal he did not want to be part of.
He also pointed to the party’s 2024 manifesto, saying its promises had not been kept after the party returned to power. Among them were the restoration of Article 370, one lakh jobs, a balanced reservation policy, 200 units of free electricity and 12 free LPG cylinders a year.
Ruhullah said he had sought clarity from National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Article 370, and that the response convinced him the party no longer believed in its original ideology.
The resignation letter to the Speaker
The parliamentary part of the exit was formal and precise. Ruhullah addressed his letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, citing Article 101(3)(b) of the Constitution and Rule 240 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha. He resigned his seat as the member for the Srinagar parliamentary constituency in the Eighteenth Lok Sabha with immediate effect, stating that the resignation was voluntary and genuine and tendered of his own free will, and requested that it be accepted.
Once the Speaker accepts the resignation, the Srinagar seat falls vacant and a by-election becomes necessary, turning his personal break into a fresh electoral test.
Why this hurts Omar Abdullah so much
Ruhullah was not a peripheral figure. He served three terms as an MLA, held a ministerial position, and became one of the most influential ideological voices inside the party after the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August 2019.
His exit also lands in the middle of a wider revolt. Around two dozen National Conference MLAs have expressed dissatisfaction with the recent cabinet reshuffle and the functioning of the government, seeking a cabinet overhaul and wider consultation before portfolios are allocated. The National Conference has 41 MLAs in the 90 member Assembly and runs a coalition government with support from Congress, independents and a CPM member, so even a limited rebellion tightens its room to govern.
Ruhullah himself recalled that the party had first asked him to contest from Baramulla, then fielded him from Srinagar while Omar Abdullah contested from Baramulla. Ruhullah won Srinagar, while Omar Abdullah lost in Baramulla.
What happens next in Kashmir politics
- Srinagar by-election: Once the Speaker accepts the resignation, a bypoll for the seat must be scheduled.
- A new platform, not a new party yet: Ruhullah has spoken of uniting young workers, leaving open whether he will float his own outfit.
- Pressure on Omar Abdullah: The MLA dissent over the reshuffle will now be read alongside the MP’s exit.
- Article 370 back at the centre: Ruhullah has put its restoration and statehood back at the heart of the Valley’s debate.
For now, the National Conference has lost its most vocal internal critic and its Srinagar MP in a single afternoon. Whether his break becomes a movement or remains a personal stand will depend on who follows him.
FAQs
Who is Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi?
He is the Srinagar Lok Sabha MP, a 48 year old Shia cleric from Budgam, a three time MLA and former minister, associated with the National Conference for nearly 24 years.
Why did he resign on November 3, 2026?
He announced it at a Budgam gathering on his father’s 26th death anniversary, accusing the party of abandoning its promises on Article 370, statehood, reservations and jobs.
Did he resign from Parliament as well as the party?
Yes. He signed a letter to Speaker Om Birla, resigning his Srinagar seat with immediate effect.
Is he joining another party?
No. He said he wanted to bring honest young people from Jammu and Kashmir together on a common platform.
What does this mean for Omar Abdullah’s government?
It deepens a crisis, with around two dozen MLAs already unhappy over the reshuffle, and sets up a Srinagar by-election.
Informeia will follow the Speaker’s decision and the by-election announcement as this story develops.
