Srinagar, August 28: Srinagar Lok Sabha MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi has accepted National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah’s challenge and said he will resign from the Lok Sabha on November 3.

Speaking to NDTV, Aga Ruhullah said he will formally submit his resignation to the Lok Sabha Speaker and Farooq Abdullah on November 3. The date is also the 26th death anniversary of his father, Aga Syed Mehdi, who was killed in a terrorist IED blast.

Aga Ruhullah also said he plans to resign from the primary membership of the National Conference because of growing differences with the party leadership over ideological issues.

He accused the NC leadership of going back on its election promise to fight for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and constitutional rights.

Ruhullah said he does not want to be part of what he described as “lies and betrayal” and added that his principles would not change according to political circumstances.

May contest by-election

After resigning, Aga Ruhullah said he may contest the Srinagar Lok Sabha by-election as an independent candidate.

He said he would consult the people before taking a final decision. He also said that before submitting his resignation, he has some commitments to complete, including releasing funds under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) and organising a conference in Srinagar with other MPs to discuss the restoration of J&K’s constitutional rights.

Farooq Abdullah’s challenge

The decision came days after Farooq Abdullah challenged Ruhullah to resign and return to the people if he believed that his 2024 Lok Sabha victory was mainly because of his personal popularity rather than the NC’s support.

“If you think people voted for you, resign and go back to them. We will see how many votes you get,” Farooq Abdullah had said.

Ruhullah responded the following day, saying he would not leave Farooq Abdullah’s request unanswered.

Relations between Aga Ruhullah and the NC leadership have been strained for some time. He has repeatedly criticised Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over the party’s position on the restoration of special status.

If Ruhullah resigns, the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat will fall vacant and a by-election could lead to a fresh political contest between him and the National Conference.