Why Aga Ruhullah chose to take such a major political and personal decision.
In 2024, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Srinagar parliamentary constituency on a National Conference ticket. Things appeared to be going smoothly until the formation of the government under Omar Abdullah. A few months after Omar Abdullah took over as Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Aga Ruhullah began raising certain genuine issues and asked his party leadership to clarify its position. The differences continued and gradually reached a point where both sides seemed to be trying to belittle and silence each other.
Aga Ruhullah raised sensitive but genuine issues, including the demand for restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and statehood, the government’s job reservation policy, the plight of imprisoned youth and the regularisation of daily wagers. The restoration of special status and statehood rests largely with the Central Government. On the other issues, the National Conference government may have tried to find solutions, but its limited powers under the Union Territory arrangement make it difficult to fulfil these promises in the near future.
Whatever the demands of this young and outspoken MP, his decision to part ways with his party and resign from Parliament is a major step, with far-reaching consequences for his political career and for Kashmir’s political landscape. On 3 November 2026, Aga Ruhullah announced his resignation from both the National Conference and Parliament at a gathering in Budgam. His parliamentary resignation was subsequently accepted by the Lok Sabha Speaker with effect from the same date. It is not a decision that can be treated lightly.
Aga Ruhullah’s political journey began at a very young age, following the death of his father in a tragic violent incident. He was so young at the time that his eligibility to contest the Assembly election was even challenged by his opponents. Aga Ruhullah and other members of the Aga family enjoy considerable influence among a section of the population in Budgam, Srinagar and Baramulla districts. This influence is one reason why the otherwise politically experienced National Conference leadership may have tolerated his occasional outbursts and given him considerable room.
Being young, energetic and articulate, Aga Ruhullah has perhaps acquired greater influence than other leaders of the Aga family. His early grooming under the guidance of senior National Conference leaders also helped shape him into a recognised political figure in Kashmir. With time, he appears to have become increasingly aware of his political standing and the strength of his support base. That realisation may have encouraged him to think beyond the limits of conventional party politics and to aim for a larger role.
His entry into Parliament in 2024 brought him to the centre stage of national politics. His interaction with national political figures and his exposure to issues beyond the immediate concerns of Kashmir gave him a wider understanding of the country’s political environment. He also emerged as a more articulate and vocal public representative. It is worth noting that Aga Ruhullah became particularly proactive and outspoken after entering Parliament.
This brings us to an important question: why was he comfortable with the National Conference and its leadership for so many years, and what was his role in raising these issues and building support for the restoration of special status and statehood during his more than two years in Parliament? These are fair questions, even if they do not take away from the importance of the issues he has raised more recently.
Another question is why Aga Ruhullah chose to take such a major political and personal decision, one that could affect his long-term political future and public image. It is a considerable political risk. His decision could alter his position in Kashmir politics and may even weaken the influence he has built over the years. He had no obvious political compulsion to take on the party leadership so directly or to part ways with one of Kashmir’s most prominent political parties.
Perhaps his conscience and his desire to serve the people of Kashmir and address their concerns made him take this step. Only Aga Ruhullah himself can explain his reasons with certainty. Whatever the explanation, the decision deserves to be examined carefully, rather than judged only on the basis of political loyalties or personal likes and dislikes.
Kashmir and its politics have always remained sensitive subjects in the country. This has been so from the very beginning, when the region emerged from the rule of the Maharaja. There was the Maharaja’s reluctance to accede to India for several months, his eventual departure from the State, and later the dismissal of Sheikh Abdullah’s government in 1953. In the decades that followed, Kashmir witnessed repeated political upheavals. Political manoeuvring, sudden changes in political positions and unexpected developments are therefore not new to the people of Kashmir.
As a sensitive border region, Kashmir has also remained under close political and national attention. The intervention of different forces in its political affairs, and the rise or decline of political careers, have often been subjects of public discussion. However, no authority or individual can reasonably claim, without evidence, that Aga Ruhullah’s present position or political decisions are the result of any such intervention.
At the same time, in the changed political atmosphere, where considerable personal and political stakes are involved, speculation is bound to become part of public debate. People will naturally ask questions and try to understand what lies behind such a dramatic political development. Is this a principled stand taken at considerable personal risk, a calculated political move, or something else? Is the resignation a genuine break with the party, or could it be a staged political show? At this stage, there are more questions than answers.
Only time will reveal how events unfold and whether Aga Ruhullah’s intentions remain firmly directed towards the genuine concerns of ordinary Kashmiris. His future actions, consistency and commitment will matter far more than statements or political gestures. Frankly, my fingers are crossed—not only about Aga Ruhullah’s political future and his dedication to the people of Kashmir, but also about the larger political drama now unfolding.
I wish Aga Ruhullah well and sincerely hope that his decision is free from bias or external interference, and that it is guided only by his commitment to the people and their genuine concerns.
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