New Delhi: Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, the Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from Srinagar constituency, has emerged as a polarising figure in Jammu and Kashmir’s political landscape. Known for his strong criticism of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre, as well as his frequent dissent against his own party leadership, Mehdi has gained both popularity and controversy in the region.
As the BJP seeks to expand its influence in the Union Territory, questions have arisen about who might be assisting the saffron party in gaining a foothold in the region. According to an ex-minister, the Jammu and Kashmir government cannot function effectively without the backing of the Centre, implying a close connection between the Abdullah family and the BJP.
However, the ex-minister also hinted that the BJP might be attempting to disrupt the dominance of the National Conference (NC) in state politics by supporting Mehdi, who is believed to have a tacit alignment with the Centre.
According to political whispers, Mehdi’s actions Mehdi’s actions may be strategically crafted to create discontent within the NC, particularly targeting the Abdullah leadership. There are speculations that Mehdi could eventually break away from the NC with a faction of legislators, leading to defections that would weaken the party’s position in the Assembly. Such a scenario could make the Abdullahs reconsider their political stance and align with the BJP, under the argument that cooperating with the Centre may be the only way to restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir.
According to senior politicians in the Union Territory, the Abdullahs have carefully crafted their political movements in the former state as Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah would balance things off by deliberately giving different or contradictory statements. If Farooq Abdullah would make an unexpected statement, his son would try to balance it with a palatable statement and vice versa. A senior political leader said that Abdullahs employ “blow hot blow cold” tactics to navigate the politically sensitive environment of Jammu and Kashmir.
Political observers argue that any shift towards the BJP could spell political suicide for the NC. A senior political analyst in the Union Territory said, “Jammu and Kashmir is a realm of possibilities, but we don’t foresee such an alignment. Mehdi’s political behaviour may be difficult to predict, but he certainly appears highly ambitious.”
If a section of leaders are to be believed, some National Conference legislators who are planning to defect from the party, are not ready to support Mehdi, who they consider an “overambitious manchild” without a substantial trajectory in politics. Speculations suggest that Saifullah Mir, Nc representative from Trehgam Assembly segment may soon take the charge of the situation and spearhead the defections.
A senior leader aware of the matter said, “There is no confirmation that defections will happen, but we cannot rule out the possibility either.”
Some leaders allege that there are discrepancies in Mehdi’s birth year. According to media reports, an RTI inquiry revealed that official records list his birthdate as August 11, 1982, while his election affidavits have stated it as 1977.
This discrepancy has raised concerns that Mehdi may have altered his birth year to meet the minimum age requirement for the 2002 elections, leading some to believe that this discrepancy may have been used by the Centre to exert pressure on him to align with its political agenda.