NC discontent brewing: Farooq, Omar meet 15 unhappy MLAs at Gupkar

NEW DELHI: National Conference supremo Farooq Abdullah on Friday dismissed reports of divisions within the party as “completely false”, asserting that the organisation remained “united and could not be broken.“His remarks came after he and chief minister Omar Abdullah met 15 party MLAs at the Abdullahs’ Gupkar residence in Srinagar amid growing discontent over the recent cabinet expansion in the Jammu and Kashmir government.“The baseless reports being spread that the National Conference is divided are completely false. This organisation is united, and those who think they can break this organisation should understand that it has never been broken and will never be broken,” Farooq said.He said the party leadership had heard the legislators’ grievances and acknowledged that their concerns were genuine. “Everyone was heard, and some steps will be taken soon, while others will be taken gradually,” he said, adding that the party and government would be strengthened to address people’s difficulties.

Farooq also said that the NC would continue its fight for restoration of statehood and Articles 370 and 35A, taking the struggle to its “final conclusion”.The meeting with the 15 MLAs came against the backdrop of mounting resentment among several senior leaders, including six-time MLA Mubarak Gul, following the October 27 cabinet expansion, in which four new ministers were inducted, taking the council of ministers to its maximum permissible strength of nine.The unhappy legislators had flagged several organisational and administrative concerns with the party leadership and sought a formal meeting to press their demands. The NC high-command is now attempting to pacify the dissenters and address their concerns.The developments also come amid a setback for the Abdullahs, with former loyalist and Srinagar MP Ruhullah Mehdi resigning from the National Conference and relinquishing his parliamentary seat.