Verdict protest against NC: Muntazir
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Nov 14: The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) today pulled off a historic win in Budgam Assembly bypolls in National Conference (NC) bastion where the ruling party had never lost any election since 1957, the first elections for the Legislative Assembly.
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PDP candidate Agha Syed Muntazir secured 21,576 votes, defeating NC’s Agha Syed Mehmood who polled 17,098 votes, a margin of 4,478 that marks the first time the party has lost this constituency since 1972. The victory raises PDP’s strength in the J&K Assembly to four seats.
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Independent candidate Jibran Dar secured 7,152 votes, placing him third in the Budgam by-poll. Another Independent, Nazir Ahmad Khan, finished with 3,089 votes, while yet another Independent, Muntazir Mohi ud Din, obtained 3,030 votes.
Budgam has been a bastion of NC, with Aga Ruhullah Mehdi winning the seat in the 2002, 2008 and 2014 Assembly polls before Abdullah won it in 2024. The constituency has always been a stronghold of the NC with party’s late Syed Ghulam Hassan Geelani representing it four times in a row in 1977, 1983, 1987 and 1996. Out of 11 times, NC won 10 times and Indian National Congress candidate Ali Mohammad Mir won in 1972 when NC boycotted the elections.
In the 2024 Assembly elections, Omar Abdullah defeated PDP candidate Aga Syed Muntazir by a margin of over 18, 000 votes. Omar polled 36010 votes and Muntazir 17525 but a year later, the situation seems to be different after Mehmood replaced Omar as NC candidate.
The last Assembly elections in J&K were held after a long gap with voters feeling that NC can fight for their lost rights including statehood, safeguarding the jobs and land rights of the people of J&K.
Added to the anti-incumbency factor is revolt by the leading face of NC in Budgam, Ruhullah, who didn’t campaign for the NC candidate and openly spoke against the government for its failure. His absence coupled with other factors led to the defeat of the NC.
In the final 72 hours of campaigning, Omar deployed the full strength of the Government and party machinery, with Cabinet Ministers, MLAs and senior leaders concentrating their efforts across Budgam. However, the late push failed to counter the Ruhullah factor.
The PDP, sensing an opportunity, mounted a well-organised campaign. Party president Mehbooba Mufti led from the front, supported by MLAs Waheed Para, Mohammad Fayaz and Mohammad Rafiq Naik. Their ground mobilisation, combined with Muntazir’s family influence as the son of prominent cleric and former separatist Agha Syed Hassan, helped overturn NC’s long-standing advantage.
“This verdict is a protest against the NC for not fulfilling its political and developmental promises. This verdict will force the NC to fulfil the promises it made to the people of J&K,” Muntazir told reporters.
“This (win) is a result of the hard work of 50 years and now Budgam’s vote will get a true representation. This is an answer to the NC for neglecting the people of Budgam in 2024,” he said and added that the people of Budgam have voted for change and accountability.
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