Historic blow to Omar Abdullah in bypoll! NC loses Budgam seat for first time since 1957
In a historic setback for Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the National Conference (NC) has lost the Budgam assembly seat in a bypoll, marking the first defeat for the party in its bastion since the first legislative assembly elections in 1957.
People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Aga Syed Muntazir defeated NC’s Aga Syed Mahmood by 4,478 votes.
The Budgam bypoll was widely seen as a test of Abdullah’s popularity amid opposition allegations of poor governance during his last year in office.
The NC had traditionally dominated the Shia-majority constituency, except in 1972 when the party boycotted polls across Jammu and Kashmir.
Abdullah had vacated the seat last year after winning the family stronghold of Ganderbal.
Efforts to retain Budgam were hampered by internal dissent, as NC’s Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar, Aga Rahullah Mehdi, openly refrained from campaigning for the party candidate, citing disagreements over issues such as Jammu and Kashmir’s reservation policy.
Meanwhile, in Nagrota, the BJP successfully retained its assembly seat with candidate Devyani Rana winning by 24,647 votes.
She defeated Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) candidate Harsh Dev Singh, who polled 17,703 votes, while NC’s Shamim Begum finished third with 10,872 votes.
Rana’s victory continues the legacy of her late father, senior party leader Devender Singh Rana.
The double bypoll results underscore the shifting political dynamics in Jammu and Kashmir, signaling challenges for the NC amid growing competition from the PDP and BJP in key constituencies.
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