Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi to resign from NC and Lok Sabha on November 3
Synopsis
Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi has locked in a date — 3 November — to quit both the National Conference and the Lok Sabha, a move that would strip the J&K ruling party of its second and last dissident MP and trigger a high-stakes bypoll in one of the valley's most politically sensitive constituencies.
Key Takeaways
Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi confirmed he will resign from the National Conference (NC) and the Lok Sabha on 3 November .
Ruhullah has accused the NC of failing to fulfil key manifesto commitments made during the 2024 parliamentary elections .
NC president Farooq Abdullah had publicly challenged Ruhullah to resign and re-contest the seat on his own strength.
Ruhullah's absence from campaigning was cited as a factor in the NC 's loss of the Budgam bypoll to PDP candidate Aga Syed Muntazir .
After his exit, the NC will hold just one Lok Sabha seat — Anantnag-Rajouri , represented by Mian Altaf Ahmad .
Of Jammu and Kashmir 's five parliamentary seats, two are held by the BJP and one by incarcerated AIP leader Engineer Rashid .
Dissident National Conference (NC) leader and Srinagar-Budgam Member of Parliament, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, confirmed on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, that he will formally step down from both the party and the Lok Sabha on 3 November. The announcement ends months of speculation about whether the prominent Shia Muslim leader would follow through on his rebellion against the party's top brass.
Ruhullah's Firm Stand
Speaking to reporters, Ruhullah left no room for doubt: 'Nothing has materially changed to affect my decision. I will be resigning from both the NC and the Lok Sabha on November 3.' The statement signals a clean break from a party on whose ticket he was elected to the Lok Sabha during the 2024 parliamentary elections.
Ruhullah has been openly critical of the NC leadership for well over a year, accusing the party of failing to honour key commitments outlined in its election manifesto. His discontent, initially dismissed by party insiders as posturing, has since hardened into an irreversible rupture.
The Widening Rift with NC Leadership
The estrangement between Ruhullah and the NC High Command deepened considerably in recent months. Party president Farooq Abdullah had previously issued a pointed challenge to the MP, daring him to resign and re-contest the Srinagar-Budgam seat independently. Abdullah reportedly remarked that those who had deserted the NC in the past ultimately faced political defeat — a remark widely read as a direct rebuke of Ruhullah.
The breakdown was further on display during the recent Budgam assembly bypoll, when Ruhullah conspicuously refrained from campaigning for the NC candidate, Aga Syed Mehmood. That seat had fallen vacant after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chose to retain the Ganderbal constituency following his dual victory in the 2024 assembly elections. The NC subsequently lost Budgam to opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Aga Syed Muntazir — a defeat that critics partially attributed to the absence of Ruhullah's support base.
What the Resignation Means for NC's Parliamentary Strength
Ruhullah's exit will reduce the NC's Lok Sabha presence to a single member: Mian Altaf Ahmad, who holds the Anantnag-Rajouri seat. The development is a significant blow to the party's national visibility at a time when it governs Jammu and Kashmir as a Union Territory.
Of Jammu and Kashmir's five parliamentary seats, two are currently held by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Baramulla seat is held by incarcerated Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid.
What Happens Next
Should Ruhullah vacate the Srinagar-Budgam Lok Sabha seat, the Election Commission of India (ECI) will be required to schedule a bypoll. Given the constituency's significance as a Shia-majority seat and Ruhullah's stated intention to contest independently — if at all — the bypoll would be closely watched as a test of both his personal political capital and the NC's ability to retain the seat without him. All eyes are now on 3 November.
Point of View
And Ruhullah's conspicuous silence was a visible factor. The NC High Command's decision to publicly dare Ruhullah rather than negotiate may have accelerated rather than deterred this outcome. The real question is whether his departure triggers a broader realignment among Shia voters — a constituency the NC cannot afford to lose ahead of any future full-state election.
NationPress
28 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi resign from the National Conference and Lok Sabha?
Ruhullah has confirmed he will formally resign from both the National Conference and the Lok Sabha on 3 November. He made the announcement on 28 October while speaking to reporters in Srinagar.
Why is Ruhullah resigning from the National Conference?
He has accused the NC of failing to deliver on key commitments made in its 2024 election manifesto. His discontent with the party leadership, including president Farooq Abdullah, has been building for over a year and is now irreconcilable, according to his own statements.
What will happen to the Srinagar-Budgam Lok Sabha seat after Ruhullah resigns?
If Ruhullah formally vacates the seat, the Election Commission of India will be required to notify a bypoll for the Srinagar-Budgam constituency. The bypoll will be a key test of Ruhullah's independent political strength and the NC's ability to reclaim the seat.
How many Lok Sabha seats will the NC hold after Ruhullah's resignation?
The NC will be left with just one Lok Sabha member — Mian Altaf Ahmad, representing the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency. Of Jammu and Kashmir's five parliamentary seats, two are held by the BJP and one by AIP leader Engineer Rashid.
How did the Budgam bypoll factor into Ruhullah's resignation?
Ruhullah refused to campaign for NC's Budgam bypoll candidate Aga Syed Mehmood, signalling his estrangement from the party. The NC subsequently lost the seat to PDP candidate Aga Syed Muntazir — an outcome that deepened the rift and made reconciliation less likely.
