Ruling National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Friday (November 6, 2026) ruled out any split in the party and assured a step-by-step approach to address the “genuine issues” raised by the 17 disgruntled legislators during a two-hour meeting with the top leadership in Srinagar. 

“The baseless news of the National Conference (NC) splitting into groups is totally wrong. The party stands together. Those who think the party could be split: it was never, and it will never be split. We spoke to them [disgruntled legislators], and their issues were genuine. We heard all of them and assured them that some steps will be taken immediately and some slowly,” Dr. Farooq Abdullah, after meeting disgruntled 17 party legislators in Srinagar. 

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Dr. Abdullah, who was accompanied by NC vice president Omar Abdullah and disgruntled leaders Mubarak Gul and Nazir Gurezi, said, “Our struggle for Statehood, Article 370 and 35A will continue.”

The meeting of the party in the wake of growing criticism from 17 legislators who held a separate meeting in Srinagar on October 27 and forwarded a joint resolution over a slew of issues, including removing CM Omar Abdullah’s adviser Nasir Aslam Wani and reassigning the portfolio of Roads and Buildings (R&B) currently with Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary.

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The political upheaval was sparked hours after CM Abdullah expanded and reshuffled the Cabinet on October 27. Three senior leaders, Mr. Gul, Mr. Gurezi and Abdul Majeed Bhat Larmi showed heartburn publicly over not being inducted into the Cabinet. 

“We have been raising issues with the party. We sat at a place recently, and the media blew it out of proportion and claimed a split [in the party]. There is no separate party. We placed the issues, both political and others, before the leadership, and there are assurances they will be addressed in step-by-step approach,” said Mr. Gurezi.

Earlier, a 10-point memorandum was submitted to the party leadership, which included a time-bound implementation of the election manifesto and an intensification of the struggle for the restoration of Statehood and special status. It also called for cabinet restructuring and ministerial accountability, and for the replacement of the Advisor. The memorandum also advocated a consultative advisory group of legislators and the constitution of a high-powered disciplinary committee.