‘Internal democracy’, not ‘rebellion’, NC says of 17 MLAs meeting over party affairs

NC’s provincial president, Showkat Ahmad Mir’ statement came a day after 17 disgruntled NC MLAs met at a legislator’s residence in Srinagar. | Photo Credit: ANI Disgruntled National Conference (NC) legislators on Saturday (October 31, 2026) forwarded a list of demands to party president Farooq Abdullah, even as the NC’s provincial president, Showkat Ahmad Mir, downplayed Friday’s meeting organised by 17 unhappy legislators. “The meeting of NC MLAs was an internal exercise in democracy. It discussed concerns and future challenges. No one had spoken against the party organisation or the government. There was no confrontation with the leadership. There is no rebellion. Even in families there are occasions when family members get upset,” Mr. Mir said.“Everyone wants to become a Minister,” Mr. Mir said of the legislators’ public display of disappointment, adding, “There are expectations, particularly from those who have won elections repeatedly. But Mr. Abdullah (Chief Minister Omar Abdullah) has only eight ministerial positions available (in the Union Territory), which is why he initially inducted five Ministers. If Statehood is restored, more ministerial berths could be filled.”His statement came a day after 17 disgruntled NC MLAs met at a legislator’s residence in Srinagar. The meeting included discussions on the recent Cabinet expansion “without consultation”; distribution of portfolios “despite certain objections”; and the roles played by the Chief Minister’s advisor Nasir Aslam Wani and MP Shami Oberoi, sources said. The list of demands sent to Dr. Abdullah urged “intensifying of struggle for restoration of Statehood, implementation of the promises made in the 2024 manifesto within six months, removing CM’s advisor Wani, and reconsidering portfolios assigned to Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary”.Several senior NC legislators were upset when they were not given ministerial berths, and four Ministers from the previous Cabinet were retained. They have called for a democratic mechanism to discuss the names proposed for ministerships.Javed Ahmad Dar, the Cabinet Minister who was not dropped by the CM, said the NC legislators met “for a meal and discussed party affairs”, and this “should not be interpreted as a revolt against the leadership”.“No legislator publicly announced any decision to challenge the party leadership or break away from the NC. It’s natural that some colleagues who were dropped may feel upset. They may feel they should have been included. Such things happen in politics. Being upset is one thing, but leaving the party or breaking it is an entirely different matter. There is nothing to suggest that anyone is doing that,” Mr. Dar said.Legislators were within their right to raise grievances or discuss political and organisational matters with the party president, he said. “‎If they want to meet Farooq sahib or Omar sahib, and place their concerns before them, it is their democratic right,” Mr. Dar said. Published - October 31, 2026 09:27 pm IST