‘Nothing has materially changed’: Syed Ruhullah reaffirms plan to resign from NC, LS

Srinagar: Dissident National Conference (NC) leader and Srinagar-Budgam Member of Parliament, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, confirmed on Wednesday that he will formally resign from both the party and the Lok Sabha on November 3.

Reiterating his stand while speaking to reporters, the prominent Shia Muslim leader stated, “Nothing has materially changed to affect my decision. I will be resigning from both the NC and the Lok Sabha on November 3.”

Ruhullah, who was elected to the Lok Sabha on an NC ticket in the 2024 parliamentary elections, has been openly disgruntled with the party leadership for over a year, accusing the NC of failing to deliver on key commitments made in its election manifesto.

The rift between Ruhullah and the party top brass has widened significantly in recent months. NC High Command, including party president Farooq Abdullah, previously snubbed the MP by challenging him to resign and re-contest the Lok Sabha seat on his own strength.

Abdullah had remarked that those who deserted the NC in the past ultimately met political defeat.

Signalling his growing estrangement, Ruhullah refrained from campaigning for the NC candidate, Aga Syed Mehmood, during the recent assembly bypoll in Budgam, a seat vacated by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah after he chose to retain Ganderbal following his dual victory in the 2024 assembly elections.

The NC subsequently lost the Budgam seat to opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Aga Syed Muntazir.

Ruhullah's upcoming resignation will leave the NC with just one Lok Sabha member, Mian Altaf Ahmad, who represents the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency.

Of Jammu and Kashmir's five parliamentary seats, two are held by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while the Baramulla seat is held by incarcerated Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid (Engineer Rashid).

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