Twenty-five elected members of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference have handed a ticking bomb to the party high command. Meeting at the Humhama residence of Lolab MLA Qaiser Jamsheed Lone on Friday, the legislators signed a memorandum dated October 30 that gives the leadership exactly 14 days to address their grievances. They are not asking for a chat; they are demanding structural changes.
The document, described by sources as a sharp rebuke, cites a "growing disconnect" between the government's actions and the people's expectations. The MLAs are not just unhappy; they are specific in their demands. They want a comprehensive review of ministerial performance, the sacking of non-performing cabinet members, and the immediate removal of Chief Minister’s Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani. They also insist on stripping Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary of the Roads and Buildings portfolio. It is a precise surgical strike on the current power structure.
But the anger runs deeper than office chairs. The memorandum calls for the implementation of resolutions from the June 3 Dachigam meeting and an impartial probe into alleged misuse of public resources. More significantly, the MLAs are pushing for renewed political mobilization to restore statehood and protect the region’s constitutional identity. They want coordinated public meetings, protest rallies, and parliamentary interventions. This is no longer just internal housekeeping; it is a demand for a political reset.
The timing couldn't be worse for Omar Abdullah's government. Just as the MLAs issued their ultimatum, Srinagar MP Agha Syed Ruhullah Mehdi announced he will resign from both the party and the Lok Sabha on November 3. His departure signals that the discontent has crossed the line from legislative corridors to the parliamentary floor. The NC leadership is now scrambling to contain a fallout that threatens to unravel the coalition from both ends.
The next two weeks will be decisive. If the 14-day window closes without the removal of Wani or the portfolio changes, the memorandum warns the party risks ignoring the voice of its grassroots. With the MP resignation looming and the cabinet in crosshairs, Omar Abdullah’s administration faces its most serious internal test to date.