Srinagar MP Syed Aga Ruhullah Mehdi said an alliance or understanding with the Congress would be “natural” as he seeks the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional rights, while confirming that he will resign from the National Conference on Nov. 3 following differences with the party leadership.
“Whatever Congress is doing recently is very encouraging,” Mehdi said in an interview with Frontline. He added that his political outreach to Congress had continued for the past two years.
Mehdi stopped short of saying he would join the Congress, saying he had not reached a conclusion on the matter. But he said the party was important to his political objective because any restoration of constitutional rights would ultimately have to be pursued through India’s parliament.
“Whatever we aspire for, whatever restoration we seek, our eyes are naturally on Congress,” he said.
Mehdi, who represents Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, said Jammu and Kashmir does not have enough parliamentary numbers on its own to bring about constitutional changes and that Congress, because of its strength in parliament and its position on issues concerning the region, could potentially be an important political partner.
“There is no negotiation happening with Congress whether I should join or not,” he said, while acknowledging sustained outreach to the party and other political groups.
The comments come as Mehdi prepares to leave the National Conference after a disagreement with its leadership over the restoration of statehood, constitutional rights and other commitments made in the party’s 2024 assembly election manifesto.
Mehdi said there was no rethink over his decision to resign and that he would step down on Nov. 3, which is also the 26th death anniversary of his father, former National Conference leader Aga Syed Mehdi.
The planned resignation would deepen a public rift between Mehdi and the party leadership over the pace and approach towards fulfilling political commitments made to voters after the National Conference returned to power in the 2024 assembly elections.
Mehdi has been among the strongest voices within the National Conference pressing for restoration of statehood and constitutional guarantees for Jammu and Kashmir. His differences with the leadership have increasingly centred on what he regards as the abandonment of the political fight over these issues.
If his resignation leads to a by-election, Mehdi said he was confident of contesting again and taking on his political opponents.
“I will fight this force. I will take them on and I will present a challenge to them like never before,” he said.
He argued that comparisons with earlier politicians who challenged the established political order were misplaced because, in his view, those challenges were not based on a consistent ideological position or principles.
“This is the first time you will face” such a challenge, he said.
Beyond Kashmir
Mehdi also said his political agenda should extend beyond the concerns of Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir to minorities and oppressed sections across India.
“Anyone who believes in the constitution of India should feel for the minorities throughout the union,” he said.
He said Muslims were currently among those facing particular difficulties, but stressed that his politics should also speak for anyone who was oppressed.
Mehdi said Jammu and Kashmir’s elected institutions could provide a platform to raise issues affecting minorities elsewhere in India.
“We can have stronger voices and we can reflect what other Muslims of the other parts of India want to be spoken about,” he said.
