JAMMU — National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah convened a crucial crisis-management meeting on Friday to address growing friction within party ranks following a recent cabinet reshuffle.
The high-stakes consultation follows a formal memorandum submitted by a group of 18 lawmakers—representing nearly half of the party’s 41 elected members in the legislative assembly—calling for structural accountability, cabinet adjustments, and administrative realignments.
Core Demands for Governance and Executive Oversight
The lawmakers, who convened several strategy meetings prior to Friday’s sit-down with party leadership, presented a unified list of organizational and administrative demands:
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Removal of Key Executive Advisor: The faction urged the immediate removal of Nasir Aslam Wani from his post as Advisor to the Chief Minister, alleging that his office has created a rift between elected representatives and core executive decision-making.
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Portfolio Realignment and Inquiry: The group called for divesting Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary of the Public Works Department (PWD) portfolio and requested an independent investigation into allegations of administrative misconduct.
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Cabinet Performance Review: The memorandum urged the leadership to replace underperforming ministers and create a binding timeline for fulfilling the party’s election manifesto commitments.
Internal Party Democracy and Core Political Mandates
Emphasizing that their collective push does not constitute an outright party split, representatives of the group framed their actions as an effort to restore internal democracy:
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Focus on Accountability: Dissenting legislators emphasized that their goal is to eliminate centralized governance, ensure regular consultation with constituency representatives, and strengthen internal party democratic processes.
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Reaffirmation of Statehood Platform: The group urged the state administration to maintain an active political push for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and constitutional safeguards, ensuring that primary electoral promises remain the focus of government policy.
