Conceding defeat in the Budgam and Nagrota Assembly segments, National Conference (NC) Vice President and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said the party will analyse the results in both constituencies to take necessary steps for the future. He further said the party’s Member of Parliament (MP), Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, had “committed political suicide” to "send me a message" through the Budgam by-elections.
According to the news agency, the by-election results declared today saw the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi triumph over the NC’s Aga Syed Mehmood by a margin of 4,478 votes. Mehdi secured 21,576 votes, ending the NC’s decades-long dominance in the Shia-majority seat, which has been a party stronghold since 1962—barring a single loss to Congress in 1972.
Similarly, in Jammu, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Devyani Rana clinched the Nagrota Assembly constituency by-election, securing 42,350 votes. NC candidate Shamim Begum, a sitting District Development Council member, trailed in third place with just 10,872 votes.
Speaking to media persons about the “Ruhullah factor” in Budgam, Omar said there was certainly an impact. “But as we say, ‘You cut off your nose to spite your face.’ Similarly, Ruhullah has committed political suicide to send me a message through Budgam. Ruhullah has done whatever he had to do, but politically, he has committed suicide, as the man who has emerged victorious will never allow him to contest again from Budgam. I can contest from there again, but whether Ruhullah will contest or not is for him to decide,” he said.
Abdullah added that whatever happened has happened, and now the party will do whatever it has to do.
About the Budgam results, the Chief Minister said, “We fought the election to win, but in Budgam, the people had a different opinion. We wanted development for Budgam and a close relationship with the government. The party will now analyse the results and think about the loopholes and areas where we need to focus."
He added, "If there is a need to change things within the organisation or in government functioning, we will do that. Although the results have been declared today, we won’t act in haste. But I urge the party president Dr Farooq Abdullah to call a Working Committee meeting to discuss the defeat in Nagrota and Budgam.”
Replying to a query, Omar said that when he sees the Bihar results, his own defeat doesn’t hurt him as much. “I knew the contest in Budgam would be tough. The people there don’t cast their votes based on development; rather, a large group of voters cast their votes in favour of a particular person,” he said.
About the dismantling of a house in Pulwama today, the CM said if such measures could stop terrorism, they would have stopped it earlier. “Many houses have been dismantled since the Pahalgam attack, but has terrorism stopped? I fear such actions will only increase anger. However, such decisions are not in our hands. Those with authority should reconsider whether this will help stop terrorism,” he said.
Omar said he himself served as Chief Minister for six years, and security was his responsibility. “Every year, militancy-related attacks were reduced. But we never felt the need to dismantle houses,” he said