NC on the Brink: 20 MLAs deliver memorandum to Farooq, demand clean sweep of old ministerial guard and CM adviser’s ouster; call it an overhaul, not a revolt

The ruling National Conference is locked in its most serious internal crisis since returning to power, with 18 to 20 MLAs preparing and presenting a hard-hitting memorandum to party president Farooq Abdullah. The document seeks sweeping structural changes, the removal of several office-bearers, and a complete overhaul of the government.

Sources said the senior legislators made it clear that they want every old minister, including Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, replaced by new faces. They also demanded the immediate removal of Nasir Aslam Wani, adviser to the Chief Minister, who lost the election yet continues to enjoy ministerial status and perks. Furthermore, the disgruntled MLAs insisted on the full implementation of the party’s election manifesto, emphasizing a vigorous push for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A.

Party leaders who attended the closed-door deliberations—speaking on condition of anonymity—described the situation as a necessary "cleansing process" to rescue the organization from "corrupt hands."

"This movement is not a rebellion. We are not rebels," the leaders stressed. "We want to strengthen the party. Everyone at the meeting wanted the party to remain united. We are only demanding accountability and want to ensure that the party and the government are not treated as the fiefdom of a few individuals." The changes, they insisted, would bring the National Conference "together and make it stronger."

The crisis erupted after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s recent cabinet reshuffle and expansion left several senior leaders—including Mubarak Gul, Reyaz Ahmad Khan (Larmi), and Nazir Ahmad Gurezi—deeply disappointed. Tension escalated further when Farooq Abdullah, attempting to pacify the discontent, appointed Gul as party general secretary, only to remove him within two days after the disgruntled MLAs convened in Srinagar and made their stance clear.

Sources revealed that the legislators’ anger toward Deputy Chief Minister Choudhary runs particularly deep. Serious allegations of corruption against him were openly discussed by the MLAs in his presence during a meeting at Dachigam on June 3 earlier this year. According to the same sources, the lawmakers are no longer willing to tolerate what they view as the concentration of power and privilege within a small inner circle that has failed to deliver on the party’s core promises.

The memorandum, sent directly to Farooq Abdullah via WhatsApp, is viewed within party ranks as an unprecedented assertion of legislative strength against the old guard. Whether the leadership yields to the demand for a thorough cleanup or attempts another temporary patch-up will determine whether the National Conference emerges stronger or fractures further.

Adding to the party’s woes, the resignation of MP Srinagar and influential Shia cleric Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi is being seen as another major jolt. Having been in a standoff with the Abdullahs for the past year, Ruhullah openly announced his resignation from both his parliamentary seat and the basic membership of the National Conference on November 3, with more setbacks expected in the coming days.