Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi Explained

Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi
Birth Place:Budgam (191111), Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Father:Aga Syed Mehdi
Residence:Darul Mustafa Shariatabad Budgam, Srinagar Jammu and Kashmir
Parents:Aga Syed Mehdi
Spouse:Nayereh Eslamiakram
Children:Daughter: 1
Party:Jammu & Kashmir National Conference
Office:Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Constituency:Sinagar
Term Start:4 June 2024
Predecessor:Farooq Abdullah
Office1:Member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly
Term Start1:2002
Term End1:2018
Constituency1:Budgam
Office2:Cabinet Minister Science and technology, Animal Husbandry
Term Start5:2008
Term End5:2014
Governor5:N. N. Vohra

Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi (Urdu: آغا سید روح اللہ مہدی) is an Indian politician of Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) from Jammu and Kashmir and member of the Indian Parliament who represents the constituency of Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir. He served three times as an MLA Budgam[1] as well as a former cabinet minister.He also is a well known Shia cleric.

Aga Syed Ruhullah won three times legislative assembly election's from Budgam constituency. Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi is the grandson of Aga Syed Mustafa Moosavi. Ruhullah Mehdi holds a master's degree in political science from Aligarh Muslim University.

Early life

Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi was born on 19 September 1977 (age 47) in district Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), India. He was born in a prominent Muslim family in Budgam. He is the son of a prominent Kashmiri muslim leader Aga Syed Mehdi. Aga Ruhullah is the grandson of Aga Syed Mustafa Moosavi (آغا صاحب) a great scholar and a philanthropist.He was the alumnus of Tyndale Biscoe School.

Political career

Aga Ruhullah’s political career started in the year 2002, when he contested his first assembly election from Budgam and won. He continued his winning streak in 2008 & 2014. In 2009, he was inducted in the State Cabinet and became the youngest ever cabinet Minister in India. In 2015, Mehdi was nominated as the Chief Spokesperson of the National Conference. However, after the abrogation of Article 370 on 5 August 2019, he had distanced himself from the party’s stand, accusing it of maintaining silence over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir after 5 August. Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi had filled nomination for 2024 Lok Sabha election from 02- Srinagar Lok Sabha Constituency and defeated People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Waheed Para by over 1.88 lakh votes. Mehdi garnered 3.56 lakh votes (52.8%) while Para managed 1.68 lakh votes (24.9%)

Achievements

Aga Ruhullah, shot into prominence after 2019 for his outspoken and fiery speeches, against the abrogation of Article 370.He has visited many foreign countries including the USA. In the Year 2006, he was Chosen by the US embassy for International Visitors Leadership Program in USA as youngest Indian Legislator. In 2010, he was awarded by Network 18, CNN-IBN as the Youngest Indian Leader.

Aftermath of MP elections 2024

After winning the MP elections from Srinagar (2024) he expressed his gratitude on his win, he said, "A big thank you to the people of Srinagar, Pulwama, Ganderbal, Shopian and Budgam for this mandate and faith on me. I am humbled and I am aware of the responsibility that this mandate brings with it. You have spoken democratically and spoken against the decisions of August 5, 2019.""From here on it is my responsibility to take your voice to the Parliament. Rest assured, I will represent your sentiments and struggle for the return of our dignity and rights with complete sincerity," he added.

In Parliament

Notes and References

  1. News: December 23, 2014. Full list of winners and losers in Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. India TV News.