Srinagar: The ruling National Conference is holding an important two-day meeting starting today. The meeting will focus on the recent by-election defeat, governance, and future strategy. A senior leader stated that the meeting, led by NC President Farooq Abdullah, will be held at the party headquarters in Srinagar on Nawah-e-Subh.
An associate of Ruhullah denied receiving an invitation to the meeting, saying he was unaware of the meeting. He said, “We will follow our program today.” Interestingly, Ruhullah is a permanent member of the Abdullah-led Working Committee.
Notably, the party lost the Budgam by-election because its MP and senior leader, Agha Ruhullah Mehdi, boycotted the election campaign. Since 2002, Mehdi has represented this seat in the Legislative Assembly three times. He became an MP last year.
Not only this, the party also finished runner-up in the Nagrota by-election, which was held after the death of sitting BJP MLA Devendra Singh Rana. However, the Budgam by-election was considered the first popularity test for the Omar Abdullah government, as it marked the completion of its first year.
The NC’s Central Working Committee sets the party’s agenda and is comprised of top leaders.
A senior leader said that this time the NC president has called all 40 party MLAs, along with some independents, to hear their views.
A senior leader also said that MP Ruhullah, who has had differences with the party leadership, has also been invited to the meeting. He walked out of the previous Working Committee meeting in May after a quarrel with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
However, it has been learned that Ruhullah has scheduled several meetings today in Srinagar and Ganderbal districts. A source said there has been no change in his schedule yet.
A few days ago, Ruhullah gave the government a deadline of December 20th to resolve the reservation issue, or he would join the student protests. Last year, he joined a student protest outside Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s residence in Srinagar.
The J&K government formed a cabinet subcommittee to “rationalize” the current reservation policy in J&K and submit a report within six months, but the report has been kept under wraps. This is fueling anger against the government among open merit aspirants. A senior leader said the meeting would discuss all issues, including reservation and governance.
He added, “These two days are meant to give everyone invited a chance to speak and address their grievances. The Budgam by-election, reservation, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi admission controversy, governance, power, etc., are all on the agenda.”
