Srinagar, Nov 26: National Conference (NC) President and three-time chief minister Farooq Abdullah would preside over a two-day Working Committee meeting of the party at its Nawa-e-Subh headquarters here on Thursday, with the discussions likely to focus on the party’s defeat in the Budgam and Nagrota bypolls, demands of estranged party leader Aga Syed Ruhullah to resolve the reservation issue, and the return of statehood.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 11 am and will continue for two days, with the NC leaders likely to dissect the twin bypoll losses, debate strategy for restoration of statehood, and confront the quota storm and Ruhullah’s ultimatum.
NC General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar said that the deliberations during the meeting will be aimed at strengthening the party’s outreach, reviewing current developments, and charting the future course of action.
The party’s Working Committee meeting will, in addition to senior NC leaders, be attended by special invitees, including all NC MLAs and some independent MLAs.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, NC MLA Amira Kadal, Sheikh Ahsan Ahmad, said the meeting would discuss organisational issues threadbare.
He said that the governance part will also be discussed as developmental issues involve the functioning of the government.
“The essence of the meeting is to discuss the changes that are required to make the party strong and the strategy needed to be adopted to make these changes,” Ahsan said.
NC state spokesman Imran Nabi Dar told Greater Kashmir that the party’s Working Committee meeting is held every two to three months, and senior party leaders participate in the discussion on making the party strong.
“This time, all NC MLAs and some independent MLAs will attend the meeting as special invitees,” Imran said.
He said that the current political situation in J&K, the reservation issue, and the reasons for the party’s defeat in both Budgam and Nagrota assembly constituencies in the recently held bypolls will all be discussed during the meeting.
NC lost the Budgam assembly seat for the first time, ending its uninterrupted dominance over the constituency for decades, with People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Aga Syed Muntazir, defeating NC’s Aga Syed Mehmood by a margin of 4478 votes.
In Nagrota, the NC ended up third behind the winner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Devyani Rana and runners-up Harsh Dev Singh of the Panthers Party India.
Devyani polled 42,350 votes and Harsh Dev 17,703 votes, while NC’s Shamima Begum secured 10,872 votes.
Imran said that while the meeting would be presided over by NC President Farooq Abdullah, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is the NC Vice President, is also expected to attend the meeting.
He said that the MLAs are expected to provide their feedback on different issues and party matters to make the organisation strong.
According to sources in the party, an important issue that would be discussed during the meeting includes the strategy the party should devise regarding the return of statehood.
The Supreme Court, on October 10, 2025, gave four weeks to the Government of India (GoI) to respond on pleas seeking restoration of statehood to J&K.
The sources said that the NC Working Committee meeting will also discuss the issue raised by its estranged Member of Parliament, Aga Syed Ruhullah, who has asked the NC-led government to resolve the reservation issue before the winter session of the Parliament ends, saying he will join the quota protests if no action is taken.
The Parliament’s winter session is scheduled to be held from December 1 to 19.
Ruhullah has accused the J&K administration of ignoring the concerns of educated youth and backed the demand of the general category candidates for reviewing the existing reservation policy. He had joined student protests outside Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s residence in December last year, seeking rationalisation of quota.
CM Omar had later set up a Cabinet Sub-committee to look into the grievances raised by aspirants against the existing reservation policy in J&K, and submit a report within six months.
A year has passed since.
On October 18, CM Omar said the reservation report would be announced only after the Lieutenant Governor approves it. The sources said that the NC Working Committee meeting will condemn the Delhi car blast but also highlight the subsequent rounding up of civilians across Kashmir and harassment of Kashmiris in various states and union territories across India. The last NC Working Committee meeting was held on May 21, 2025, following which the party passed a seven-point resolution calling for the restoration of J&K’s special status and full statehood.
