On the final day of nominations, candidates from all major political parties — the National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and BJP — filed their papers for the Budgam Assembly bypolls today.
The Budgam seat will go to the polls along with Nagrota in Jammu on November 11.
National Conference candidate Aga Syed Mehmood, PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi, BJP’s Aga Syed Mohsin, Aam Aadmi Party’s Deeba Khan, Apni Party’s Owais Ashraf Shah, and Independents Nazir Ahmed Khan and Muntizair Mohideen were among those who submitted their nominations.
The seat fell vacant after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah vacated it to retain his family bastion in Ganderbal. In last year’s Assembly election, Omar had won the Budgam seat with 35,804 votes, defeating PDP’s Muntazir Mehdi, who secured 17,445 votes.
Omar Abdullah, who accompanied his party’s candidate Aga Mehmood while filing the nomination, told reporters that the National Conference stood united behind its nominee.
“From today onwards, we will take our message and appeal to every voter in Budgam. We are confident that on the day of the results, Aga Mehmood Sahib will emerge victorious by a huge margin and represent the people of Budgam in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly,” Omar said.
When asked about differences within the party and whether MP Agha Ruhullah would campaign for Mehmood, Omar said, “Agha Mehmood has said that Agha Ruhullah is like a son to him, and he fully hopes to get his support. What more do I need to say.”
NC candidate Aga Mehmood expressed confidence that MP Ruhullah would campaign for him. “He’s a party man and like my son. Why would he not work for the party? I have already spoken with him,” he said.
However, MP Agha Ruhullah, in a post on X, said his loyalty lies with his conscience and principles.
“While I hold respect for my elders in my family, I request them not to belittle my fight (our fight). If they can’t comprehend it and be part of it, at least don’t drag me and my struggle to this level,” he wrote.
PDP candidate Aga Muntazir Mehdi, accompanied by party leaders Waheed Parra and Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura, said after filing his nomination that he was committed to undoing the injustices faced by the people of Budgam over the past 70 years.
“I hope this time, the people of Budgam will vote for change,” he said.
BJP’s leader of Opposition in the J&K Assembly, Sunil Sharma, who accompanied the party candidate, said the BJP was hopeful of winning the seat. He accused the National Conference of repeatedly betraying Kashmir’s poor.
“People now see hope in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and our party will try its best to win this seat. We urge voters to teach a lesson to those who have always betrayed the poor people of Kashmir,” Sharma said.
Sharma also targeted Omar Abdullah over his recent remarks on smart meters, saying the National Conference had been “exposed.”
“Before the elections, he claimed, he wouldn’t allow the government to install meters. But yesterday, he said if his aunt has a meter at home, why shouldn’t others have one too?” Sharma said, calling the statement a reflection of the party’s disconnect from the poor.
“His aunt is rich, from an affluent family, but poor households can’t afford the same. It’s unfortunate and exposes their double standards,” he added.
