Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi's refusal to campaign for party candidate sparks unease in NC

National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi's decision not to campaign for the party’s candidate Aga Syed Mahmood in the Budgam by-election has caused an alarm in the National Conference.

Mehdi's decision reflects a deeper rift within the party over the NC leadership, especially Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s approach on the issue of the restoration of Article 370 and statehood for Jammu and Kashmir.

“My loyalty is to my conscience and principles,” Mehdi posted on X, urging political parties and campaigners not to use his name or photos in connection with the bypoll.

His decision is being seen as a rebuke to the CM whom he accuses of soft-pedalling on the promises made to voters during the 2024 Assembly elections.

Once a confidant of Omar, Ruhullah has, since 2019, emerged as one of the few NC leaders to maintain a hard line on the demand for restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional position, winning him admirers in Kashmir. Currently, he is seen as the vanguard who fights for the rights of people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Mehdi believes the NC has diluted its ideological stand on Article 370 and statehood for the sake of power. He has publicly criticised the Omar-led government for “backtracking” on the emotional and political issues that defined the party’s legacy.

For him, the restoration of statehood and constitutional safeguards is not just a policy issue but a matter of collective identity and honour. His decision to stay away from the campaign is, therefore, both personal and political. Political analysts see his stand as a quiet act of protest against what he sees as the party’s moral retreat.

Mahmood has tried to downplay Mehdi’s decision not to back him, saying,“it will make no difference” and that the NC “has its own strong base in Budgam.”

But within party circles, there is growing concern about Mehdi's influence on young voters, who are crucial for NC's win. The incident highlights a broader unease within the NC’s ranks for not putting up a fight for the political rights of the people post Article 370 move by the BJP.

As Budgam heads to the polls on November 11, the real divide may not be between the NC and its rivals, but between Omar Abdullah’s politics of pragmatism and Ruhullah Mehdi’s politics of conscience.

India