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This will be the first formal face-to-face meeting after weeks of anger, informal meetings, secret night meetings and public posturing
Sources said the meeting is almost final and both NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah and Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah are likely to chair it together. (Image: PTI/File)
A crucial meeting between the National Conference leadership and dissident MLAs on Friday (November 6) will likely decide the future course of the party.
The dissident group, which has said they are 25 in number and not 18, is expected to meet the NC top brass in Srinagar but it has not yet been confirmed if the MLAs will meet party president Dr Farooq Abdullah, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, or both together.
According to sources in both camps, the meeting is almost final and both Farooq and Omar are likely to chair it together. The meeting will be held in Srinagar, most likely at the Gupkar residence of Farooq Abdullah or at the chief minister’s residence, sources said.
The dissident MLAs have already been informally informed to remain in Srinagar on Friday and not to leave the city. This will be the first formal face-to-face meeting between them and the high command after weeks of anger, informal meetings, secret night meetings and public posturing.
Ahead of the meeting, NC’s senior leader and Jammu provincial president Rattan Lal Gupta assured the dissident MLAs that the party leadership will listen to all their concerns with an open mind and resolve every issue. He said the NC is a democratic party where every voice is heard, adding that whenever a problem arises the leadership collectively listens and resolves it.
Gupta said the government is fully stable and will complete its five-year term. He said all issues raised by MLAs will be addressed together at the meeting.
“The National Conference is a democratic party… Whenever an issue arises within the party, the leadership sits down together to resolve it. In tomorrow’s meeting, all the issues raised by the MLAs will be heard together and amicably resolved. The government is fully stable and will complete its full five-year term…”
Deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary also said: “Both Dr Farooq Abdullah sahib and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah sahib are going to meet these MLAs personally tomorrow. We will do everything to ensure that they are given justice.”
12 MLAs MEET AT GULMARG
Ahead of the meeting, 12 of the dissident MLAs from the NC held another round of talks at the residence of Gulmarg MLA Farooq Ahmed Shah late on Tuesday (November 3).
The meeting lasted for more than two hours and was specifically held to chalk out the strategy for the meeting and to finalise the memorandum that will be placed before the party leadership.
“We held another round of talks at Farooq Shah sahib’s residence. All 12 of us were there. We are now waiting for a call from the high command for November 6. We are ready for talks anytime,” a senior MLA from the group said. “We are united and will not budge till all the points mentioned in the memorandum are not implemented. We don’t want only assurances. This time we want implementation, in writing, with a timeline.”
While the core group that is regularly meeting is 12, the larger claim is even bigger. One of the leading voices of the dissident group has claimed: “We are 25, not 18. All united and on oath.”
Various reports quote a figure of 17 to 25 disgruntled MLAs. The dissidents claim total support is between 17 and 25 MLAs, including some who are still silent but have signed the memorandum.
If the figure of 25 is correct, it would be a serious number for a party that has 42 MLAs, and it would make it impossible for the leadership to ignore the group.
WHAT TRIGGERED THE STORM
The internal crisis stems from the recent cabinet expansion and reshuffle by the chief minister. The expansion, in which four new ministers were inducted last week, triggered open dissent, protests and allegations of internal bias, sources said.
Many senior MLAs expecting a berth felt ignored, while others alleged the expansion was done without consulting the Legislature Party. What started as disappointment over cabinet berths soon turned into a larger debate over party functioning, governance and political direction.
The resignation of Srinagar MP Syed Aga Ruhullah Mehdi also continues to haunt the party. Many dissidents were in touch with Ruhullah, and his exit has emboldened the camp.
Quick Answers
Ask News18The internal crisis was triggered by a recent cabinet expansion and reshuffle by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in which four new ministers were inducted. Several senior MLAs who expected ministerial berths felt ignored, leading to open discontent, protests, and a broader debate over party functioning.
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Srinagar, India, India
November 05, 2026, 22:23 IST
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