Srinagar, Jul 16 (KNO): Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi has launched a fresh attack on his own party's leadership, claiming the National Conference (NC) has strayed from the agenda on which it sought votes and warning that the party could face electoral consequences if it fails to reconnect with its core promises.
Speaking during an interaction with the netizens on X Spaces, Ruhullah, per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said he never sought any position or privileges and was only trying to serve the cause for which people had voted.
"I was forced to sit on this chair. I never wanted any chair or perks. Now that I am sitting on this chair, I am trying to serve the cause. Take my resignation tomorrow itself, but come back to the agenda you were voted for and return to the people's mandate," he said.
The Srinagar MP argued that the NC's primary electoral promise was to challenge the decisions of August 5, 2019, when Jammu and Kashmir's special status was revoked and the erstwhile state was reorganised into two Union Territories.
According to Ruhullah, statehood restoration alone was never the party's central agenda during the elections.
"Had people been told during the elections that the only objective was to get statehood restored, they would have chosen the easiest option and voted for the BJP, which had also promised statehood in its manifesto," he said.
Ruhullah alleged that the party had deviated from the commitments it made to voters and warned that such a course could prove costly in future elections.
"The party should learn from its mistakes. If the party has secured 45 seats today, it can come down to 15 in the next election," he said.
The MP maintained that political parties receive a mandate to pursue the agenda and policies they present before the electorate. He said the National Conference had gone to the people with a promise to challenge the post-August 5, 2019, political arrangement.
"People gave the National Conference a mandate for a particular agenda. The party's agenda before the elections was to challenge those decisions. Now it has deviated from that path," he said.
Ruhullah rejected suggestions that he had acted against the party's interests, asserting that he was, instead, trying to uphold the party's original commitments.
"If I had betrayed that agenda or deviated from that mandate, I should be told to quit. On the contrary, it is the party that has moved away from its agenda," he said.
He also defended his decision to continue voicing dissent despite criticism from within the party.
"Some people say that because the party has numbers, its deviation is justified and I should quit. But I am not going against the party's policies. I am alone and fighting because the party has deviated from its agenda," Ruhullah said.
While acknowledging that whether he remains in his position is a separate issue, the MP insisted that his stand was rooted in ideology, commitment and the promises made to the people before the elections—(KNO)