As the elected government enters its second year, the promised statehood seems more distant than ever. So much so that even the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has grown despondent. He told reporters as much during the recent Assembly session.
“I was hopeful from day one about the restoration of statehood,” he said. “Now, the hope has diminished. The longer you keep us waiting and delay statehood, the less hopeful we’ll be.”
He has now sought a timeline for the restoration of statehood.
Since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, the NC has found itself navigating an uneasy space, attempting to reassert its relevance in a Union Territory stripped of its constitutional status, while facing internal dissent from sections of the party that view its leadership as too conciliatory toward the Centre.
But Omar has categorically ruled out any alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), dismissing speculation that the NC might enter into a tactical understanding to secure administrative leverage, or encourage the BJP to grant statehood by assuring it of stake and sway in the consequently empowered elected government.
Yet even as Omar closed that door, political insiders suggest that the NC’s relationship with the Centre remains a subject of delicate calibration. Since the abrogation of Article 370, and after forming the government, the party leadership has adopted a tone of institutional engagement and also avoided direct confrontation.
This approach, while pragmatic, has alienated some within the party who feel that the NC’s moral capital lies in its historic opposition to the erosion of J&K’s autonomy.
There’s a small section in the party that believes Omar’s politics has become too cautious. They think people are angry and frustrated as they expect stronger words and stronger action. Appeasement, even if strategic, doesn’t sit well in this climate.
Leading this thinking is the party’s senior leader and Member Parliament Aga Ruhullah Mehdi. For months, Ruhullah has been the most vocal voice within the National Conference (NC) demanding a clear and uncompromising stand against the Centre, particularly on the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and special constitutional status.
While Omar Abdullah has chosen a more calibrated tone — seeking to balance criticism of the BJP-led government with pragmatic engagement — Ruhullah has made it clear that he will not be part of what he calls “appeasement politics.”
In protest against his party, Ruhullah refused to campaign for his party’s candidate Aga Mehmood in the bypoll in Budgam constituency. In his conversations with the media, Ruhullah has said he would “strictly not be part of the campaigning” as the party has failed to fulfil the promises it made to the people after August 5, 2019, when Article 370 and 35A were abrogated and the state was downgraded to a Union Territory.
The Budgam bypoll, therefore, has become a proxy battleground for the ideological struggle within the NC – between those who believe in calibrated accommodation with New Delhi and Ruhullah, who insists that Kashmir’s political identity cannot be diluted for electoral expediency.
“My loyalty is to my conscience and principles,” Ruhullah wrote on X, distancing himself publicly from Mehmood’s optimism. “While I hold respect for my elders in my family, I request them not to belittle my fight (our fight). If they can’t comprehend it and be part of it, at least don’t drag me and my struggle to this level.”
Ruhullah’s invocation of “conscience” is not new. It has been a recurring motif in his public statements since 2019. Soon after the abrogation, when many mainstream leaders were silent or under detention, Ruhullah emerged as one of the few who spoke unapologetically about loss, betrayal, and identity.
Ruhullah’s view is shared by a significant section of the population in the Valley, arguing for a more assertive articulation of the party’s pre-2019 stand. Others, however, fear that an overtly confrontational stance could invite administrative reprisals and further shrink political space.
