SrinagarNovember 7, 2025 02:58 PM IST
First published on: Nov 7, 2025 at 02:57 PM IST
Campaigning for the Budgam bypoll scheduled for November 11, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that all forces have united to defeat the National Conference, as the party has stood by its promise to keep the BJP at bay. The bypoll in Budgam is being held after Abdullah, who contested and won from both Budgam and Ganderbal assembly constituencies in last year’s election, vacated the seat.
With days to go for polling, standing outside a shop front during his roadshow, Abdullah said, “All (political) forces are in the field to defeat the National Conference and Aga Mahmood in this election. And for what fault? Because we are still standing by for the promises we made while contesting the last election, which is to keep the BJP at bay.”
Taking aim at the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the CM said, “Please recall the 2014 election when a party sought votes to keep the BJP out and then, post the election, they brought the BJP to power and began destroying Jammu and Kashmir.” Emphasising that the NC had sought votes last year with the same intent and has stood by its word, he said, “This is the difference between the PDP and the NC.”
More than a dozen candidates have filed their nominations for the bypoll, but the contest is primarily between the NC’s Aga Mahmood and PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir. The PDP candidate lost to Abdullah in the last election and has been renominated by the party.
While the NC vice-president was flanked by other party leaders, including recently elected MLAs, the party’s central Kashmir MP, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, was missing. Mehdi has publicly criticised his own party for failing to live up to its poll promises and has so far not participated in the NC campaign. He has also represented the Budgam constituency in the past and holds sway over the significant Shia population in the area.
On Friday, Abdullah said that the NC is often “punished” for its decision to limit the BJP to the opposition, and added that the national party would have restored statehood to J&K had they been in power. “But we are not ready for that compromise,” he said.
The chief minister drew attention to the first resolution passed by the J&K assembly seeking restoration of J&K’s special status and emphasised that the party, as promised in the election, passed this resolution for “restoring what has been forcefully taken away from us on August 5, 2019”.
He added that the UT cabinet has also passed a resolution for the restoration of statehood, and this has been taken to the Centre.
Repeating his promise of establishing a university in Budgam, he said that J&K still does not have a ground to host an international cricket match. “I am in talks with the BCCI, and a ground and an academy have been proposed. I have told them that if this has to come up, it will be done in Budgam,” he said.
He also addressed concerns of voters with regard to smart meters, which have been resisted in many areas. “While this is part of the governance legacy I have inherited, however, I will say that our general experience is that with a meter installed, the bills are lower.” He also explained that the NC manifesto promised to provide 200 units of electricity for free, which cannot be calculated without a meter.
Seeking to remind the voters that the bypoll will not elect a government, Abdullah said that they should take this decision with their representation in mind.
