‘This organisation is united’: Farooq Abdullah dismisses reports of rift in National Conference after meeting MLAs

Legislators from the National Conference met with party president Farooq Abdullah on Friday morning at his residence in Srinagar. This gathering occurs amidst growing discontent among a faction of legislators following Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's recent cabinet reshuffle. Just a week prior, on the previous Friday, 18 legislators had already convened in Srinagar to express their unwillingness to accept the party's decision on the cabinet changes.

In the preceding month, four new ministers were added to the Cabinet. However, legislators claim that discontent had already been brewing before this expansion. They have several demands, including the removal of ministers who have served in the Cabinet for the past two years, fulfilling promises made to both legislators and the public, and addressing grievances against two senior party figures – Chief Minister's advisor Nasir Aslam Wani and National Conference treasurer and parliament member Gurwinder Singh Oberoi, also known as Shammi Oberoi.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah now faces the daunting task of maintaining unity within the party as dissent among the senior leadership intensifies. The recent cabinet reshuffle has also highlighted regional divisions within the party, with voters backing their elected representatives in a demand for adequate representation in the government.

This week, the party suffered another blow when Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi resigned, accusing the National Conference of "rot" from within.