‘Internal democracy’, not ‘rebellion’, says NC on 17 MLAs meeting on party matters

NC provincial president Showkat Ahmad Mir’s statement came a day after 17 disgruntled NC MLAs met at the legislators’ residence in Srinagar. | Photo credit: ANI

Disgruntled National Conference (NC) lawmakers on Saturday (Oct 31, 2026) handed over a list of demands to party chairman Farooq Abdullah even as NC provincial president Showkat Ahmad Mir downplayed a meeting organized by 17 disgruntled lawmakers on Friday.

“The NC MLAs meeting was an internal exercise in democracy. Concerns and future challenges were discussed. No one spoke against the party organization or the government. There was no confrontation with the leadership. There is no rebellion. Even in families, there are occasions when family members are upset,” said Mr Mir.

“Everybody wants to become a minister,” Mr Mir said of the legislators’ public display of disappointment, adding: “There are expectations, especially from those who have repeatedly won elections. But Mr Abdullah (Chief Minister Omar Abdullah) has only eight ministerial posts available (in the Union Territory) and that is why he initially named five ministers. If statehood is restored, more ministerial posts could be filled.”

His statement came a day after 17 disgruntled NC MLAs met at the legislators’ residence in Srinagar. The meeting included discussions on the recent “non-consultation” Cabinet expansion; division of portfolios “over certain objections”; and the role played by Chief Minister’s adviser Nasir Aslam Wani and MP Shami Oberoi, sources said.

List of requests sent to Dr. He urged Abdullah to “intensify the fight for restoration of statehood, implement the promises made in the 2024 manifesto within six months, remove CM Wani’s adviser and reassess the portfolios allotted to Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary”.

Several senior NC legislators were upset when they were not given a ministerial berth and four ministers from the previous cabinet were retained. They called for the creation of a democratic mechanism for discussing names proposed for ministerial posts.

Javed Ahmad Dar, a cabinet minister who was not dismissed by the CM, said the NC legislators met “for dinner and discussed party matters” and this “should not be construed as a revolt against the leadership”.

“No legislator has publicly announced any decision to challenge the party leadership or to break away from the NC. It is natural that some colleagues who have been dropped may feel upset. They may feel that they should have been included. Such things happen in politics. Being upset is one thing, but leaving the party or breaking it is another thing entirely. There is no indication that anyone is doing that,” Dar said.

Lawmakers had the right to raise grievances or discuss political and organizational matters with the party chairman, he said. “If they want to meet Farooq sahib or Omar sahib and present their concerns to them, that is their democratic right,” Mr. Dar said.

Published – 31 Oct 2026 21:27 IST