National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday, 28 October 2026, appointed senior party leader and Eidgah MLA Mubarak Gul as the party's General Secretary in a swift bid to contain fallout from his exclusion from the newly expanded Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet. The elevation came within hours of Gul openly voicing his anger over being passed over, triggering wider resentment across the ruling party's legislative ranks.

The Trigger: Cabinet Expansion and Open Revolt

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday administered the oath of office to four new Cabinet ministers at a ceremony held at Lok Bhawan. The swearing-in set off an immediate chain of public grievances among NC legislators who had expected berths. Gul, who attended the ceremony, did not conceal his frustration once the event concluded.

'I have attended 20 swearing-in ceremonies so far, and I am a senior leader of the party. Shockingly, I have been left out,' Gul told reporters, before heading to the NC headquarters at the Nawa-e-Subha complex in Srinagar, where supporters had already gathered and were raising slogans in his favour.

Farooq Abdullah's Damage Control at Party HQ

To contain the growing internal rift, Farooq Abdullah, accompanied by newly sworn-in minister Ali Muhammad Sagar and other senior leaders, rushed to the party headquarters. There, Abdullah officially announced Gul's elevation to the post of NC General Secretary and publicly garlanded him in a show of party solidarity.

The organisational post, however, appears not to have fully pacified the veteran legislator. Gul subsequently told reporters that he would announce his 'future course of action' at a press conference scheduled for 4 November — leaving open the possibility of further escalation.

Other Legislators Register Protest

The Cabinet reshuffle triggered discontent beyond Gul's camp. Abdul Majeed Larmi, a three-time MLA from Anantnag West, was visibly emotional while speaking to the media. 'I was told to wait till 11 PM yesterday. I waited for the phone call, which never came. I am a dedicated and honest party loyalist, and I am shocked at my non-inclusion,' Larmi said, though he added he had no plans to quit the NC.

Gurez MLA Nazir Ahmad Gurezi skipped the swearing-in ceremony entirely as a mark of protest over being overlooked, while Kangan MLA Mian Mehr Ali from Ganderbal district also boycotted the event. Mehr Ali, a first-time legislator and son of senior NC leader and Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha MP Mian Altaf Ahmad, had been widely anticipated to receive a Cabinet post to represent the sizeable Gujjar and Bakarwal communities.

What It Signals for the NC Government

The visible dissent — from a senior six-term-equivalent figure like Gul, a three-time MLA like Larmi, and legislators associated with key community blocs — points to deeper strain within the ruling coalition's management of expectations. Notably, the NC's organisational response was near-immediate, suggesting the party leadership anticipated a backlash but may not have gauged its intensity. The Cabinet expansion, intended to broaden governance capacity, has instead generated a public relations challenge that the party is still actively managing.

All eyes now turn to 4 November, when Mubarak Gul is expected to clarify whether the General Secretary appointment has satisfied his grievances — or whether the NC faces a more protracted internal reckoning.