SRINAGAR: Ruling National Conference rebel legislators, who are seeking the replacement of all eight Cabinet ministers, including the deputy chief minister, within 15 days and the removal of chief minister Omar Abdullah’s adviser Nasir Aslam Wani, after meeting party president Farooq Abdullah and chief minister Omar Abdullah at the former’s residence in Srinagar said the party has agreed to implement some of the “confidence-building measures and suggestions they had put forward.”“In today’s meeting we decided that some of the confidence-building measures and suggestions we had put forward would be implemented soon, while others would be taken up gradually. You will see that in the coming days,” Bashir Ahmad Veeri, MLA from Bijbehara said after coming out of the meeting.“We are committed to Article 370 (restoration) and we will remain committed to it. It took the BJP to declare it done and dusted almost 70 years. Our fight (for its restoration) has not even completed four years yet,” he added.“We are committed to J&K’s autonomy within the Indian federation on the basis of which Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India…you will see in the coming days how aggressively we pursue the restoration of statehood,” he added.Dismissing the reports of divisions within the party, he said, “The reports suggesting that the National Conference is divided in factions or that the party is on the verge of a split are completely wrong. The party is united and strong. Those who think they can break the party will never succeed. The party will neither split nor be weakened.”“At the same time, our fight for the restoration of statehood. We will take this struggle to its logical conclusion,” he said, adding that the party fight for restoration of Article 370 will continue.”Earlier the legislators were seen arriving at Farooq Abdullah’s residence around 11 a.m. Nazir Ahmad Khan an MLA from Gurez constituency, who is believed to be leading the dissenting legislators, said Dr Abdullah was their leader and they had come to meet him with their grievances.For the past one week, Omar faces a growing revolt within NC, with around 25 legislators demanding replacement of all eight cabinet ministers and removal of Wani. Wani is seen very close to the CM and legislators’ complaint that Wani is taking all important decisions of the Omar government despite being not elected.The MLAs’ meeting took place followed Omar’s cabinet expansion last week, triggering open dissent, protests and allegations of internal bias in NC after four ministers were inducted, taking the cabinet’s strength to nine, including the CM. He dropped Satish Sharma, leaving only two ministers from Jammu region-deputy CM Surinder Choudhary and Javed Ahmed Rana. NC has 41 MLAs in the 90-member assembly and runs a coalition government with six Congress, six independent and one CPM legislator.Incidentally Wani, whom legislators want out, is away from the political developments around him and is currently in London. Wani is part of Jammu and Kashmir Tourism delegation participating in the World Travel Market (WTM) London 2026. The WTM held at ExCeL London from November 3 to 5, had dedicated stalls showcasing the J&K’s diverse tourism offerings and emerging opportunities. The Indian Pavilion at WTM London was inaugurated by Union Minister of Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in the presence of Wani. Wani is expected to be back to Srinagar on Nov 10.This dissidence with the NC has come at a time when the party’s Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi ended on November 3 his 24-year association with NC, resigning as its functionary and Srinagar MP while declaring his exit an act of “azadi” and accusing CM Omar of betraying the party’s election promises, surrendering to BJP and failing to defend J&K’s political rights. In his November 3 speech Mehdi recalled the 2024 assembly election campaign in Ganderbal and said Omar had removed his skullcap and sought votes in the name of its dignity.
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“You remember nothing, neither your promises nor your skullcap,”‘ he had said.His resignation as Member of Parliament from the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, has been formally accepted by the Lok Sabha Speaker, bringing his tenure as a Lok Sabha member to an end with effect from November 3, 2026.According to an official notification issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat and published in the Gazette of India on November 5, 2026, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, an elected member representing the Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency of Jammu and Kashmir, has resigned from his seat in the Lok Sabha. The notification, states that his resignation has been accepted by the Speaker with effect from November 3, 2026. With the acceptance of his resignation, the Srinagar parliamentary seat has formally fallen vacant.
