Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi quit the National Conference and resigned from the Lok Sabha on 3 November. His exit exposed deep cracks in the party regarding unmet 2024 election promises. Many now question the leadership’s ability to fulfil commitments like restoring Article 370 and creating one lakh new jobs.
For the National Conference, simply repeating old promises will not be enough
It's still too early to say whether Aga Ruhullah Mehdi's departure from the National Conference (NC) and Parliament on 3 November has damaged the party more or his own political career. This public rift, however, highlights serious concerns about the party's leadership, ideological commitment and ability to fulfil its electoral promises in Jammu and Kashmir.
Whether Ruhullah's decision is a principled political stand or a self-defeating gamble remains unclear. But his exit has certainly dented the NC's public image, exposing cracks in the party over promises it made in the 2024 election and its relationship with some of its own prominent leaders.
For the NC, the political cost is significant. The party fought the 2024 elections on the promise of restoring constitutional safeguards and special status, particularly Article 370.
Two years on, Ruhullah's accusation that the party has abandoned its manifesto resonates with the people. The fact remains that after securing a considerable mandate in 2024 amid high public expectations, the NC is warding off criticism initiated by one of its own.
Ruhullah is no ordinary dissenter. A three-time MLA from Budgam and MP from Srinagar, he has been with the NC for over two decades and was also involved in preparing the 2024 manifesto.
His principal contention is that the party has shifted its priorities from fighting to restore Article 370 to the restoration of statehood alone, shelving more forceful political action.
The revolt has spotlighted other unmet commitments: an injudicious reservation policy that disadvantages open-merit students and job-seekers; failure to generate employment, including the promised goal of creating one lakh jobs; free electricity and LPG; and inadequate efforts to secure the release of political prisoners and protect civil rights.
In truth, this confrontation has exposed the growing gap between the party's electoral promises and performance.
.Srinagar MP Ruhullah quits National Conference, resigns from Lok Sabha. Questions are being raised about the party leadership, particularly its inability to reconcile with Ruhullah, who had publicly indicated his intention to resign months in advance.
His eventual departure has reinforced perceptions that the party was either unwilling or unable to address internal criticism, thereby missing a chance to publicly explain its constitutional and political strategy convincingly.
Moving forward, the NC faces the daunting task of crafting a fresh political narrative and credible manifesto in anticipation of mid-term elections for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat and other future contests. Simply repeating old promises about autonomy, statehood, free utilities and jobs will not suffice. Voters increasingly demand transparency and accountability.
Meanwhile, the issue has handed NC's political rivals a readymade narrative.
At the public gathering at Behisht-e-Zehra Park in Budgam, Ruhullah handed his resignation to Muhammad Ashraf Mattoo, father of Tufail Mattoo, a teenager killed in a 2010 police firing, when the NC was in power.
Critics were quick to point out Ruhullah's own association with the NC at the time. If the party was responsible for the deaths of several teenagers during the 2010 unrest, why, if he was genuinely sympathetic towards the victims of 2010, had he not voiced his concerns earlier? They accuse him of indulging in political theatrics by choosing Mattoo to convey the break.
The NC, meanwhile, has questioned Ruhullah's parliamentary record and his contribution as an MP towards the restoration of special status and statehood.
.J&K: NC, Cong slam LoP Sunil Sharma for 'nalayak' jab at cops over SPO killings . Party leaders say the NC provided him with an established political organisation, a recognisable electoral symbol, a network of workers and a presence across Jammu and Kashmir which helped him secure multiple electoral victories in Budgam and Srinagar.
Some critics have even suggested that the entire episode was staged at the behest of the BJP. These allegations gained traction after BJP leader Ram Madhav welcomed Ruhullah's exit and said he had the support and blessings of the people.
The NC, too, has alleged that his departure fits the BJP's strategy. While there is no evidence to establish that the BJP orchestrated Ruhullah's resignation, the schism certainly plays to the BJP's advantage by fracturing the region's main opposition.
If indeed his objective is to fight for the rights of the people of Kashmir, the path ahead is uncertain.
Ruhullah says he is looking for honest and committed people to build an alternative political force. Whether he can translate this intention into a viable political movement remains to be seen. Success will depend on his ability to organise effectively, articulate a clear, coherent agenda and broaden his public appeal.
Only time will tell whether Ruhullah's gambit will pay off or whether he will meet the fate of Ghulam Nabi Azad, who quit the Congress in August 2022 after decades of association with the party and then saw his political stock wither.