Srinagar : Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, the outgoing Lok Sabha member representing Srinagar, officially resigned from both his parliamentary seat and the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) party on November 3.
The announcement was made on the 26th death anniversary of his father at Behesht-e-Zehra Park in Budgam, where a large crowd of supporters had gathered. Mehdi criticised JKNC for failing to honour or act upon its election promises, exposing deepening tensions within the party amid ongoing speculation of a rift.
Addressing reporters, a local from Wahipora stated that Mehdi’s decision was based on the party’s failure to fulfil public commitments and was not motivated by personal grievances. The local said, “We have come because Aga Sahib called us to gather here at Behisht-e-Zehra Park in Budgam today. We have heard that Aga Sahib is going to make a major decision in his life. Whatever that will be, it will be made public shortly in front of everyone.”
The local also emphasised that he was not making political judgements behind the scenes and that Mehdi’s choice to resign was grounded in principles and accountability to voters. He added, “When it comes to leadership, a leader’s perspective is far higher than ours. I cannot say whether the decision is right or wrong, but it will be right because in the realm of politics, his stature is very high. We are ordinary people far below him; we cannot tell him that he made a mistake. Whatever he is doing, he is doing the right thing.”
According to the local, Mehdi’s resignation from the Indian Parliament entailed a significant sacrifice on behalf of his constituents. He said, “Why wouldn’t we stand with him? He speaks for us. If he were speaking for his own personal interests, we would not support him. But this man gave up a monthly salary of 3 to 3.5 lakh rupees, walked away from the highest house of parliament in India, and made such a huge sacrifice for our sake. Why would we step back? Whatever decision he takes, we stand with him.”
Mehdi rejected rumours of involvement in political ‘horse-trading’, stating that his resignation was a principled stand against unmet electoral promises. He specifically mentioned issues such as the restoration of Article 370, the release of certain prisoners, and safeguarding the rights of the people.
He is scheduled to formally address the public and confirm his resignation at Behesht-e-Zehra Park in Budgam on November 3, coinciding with his father Aga Syed Mehdi’s death anniversary.
