Budgam bypolls in J-K: Stage set for polling on Tuesday as NC looks to retain seat

Srinagar, Nov 10 (PTI) All measures are in place for polling in the Budgam assembly byelection, being seen as a litmus test of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's performance as head of government and the National Conference chief.

The Budgam assembly segment, along with Nagrota, will go to polls on Tuesday to elect new representatives after the seats fell vacant last year.

As many as 17 candidates are in the fray for the Budgam seat where bypoll was necessitated after Abdullah vacated the seat, retaining Ganderbal after winning both the constituencies in the 2024 assembly elections.

Budgam has been a bastion of the National Conference (NC), with its candidates securing victory from the constituency since 1962, barring once in 1972 when the Congress candidate won from the seat.

NC Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, won from the Budgam seat in the 2002, 2008 and 2014 assembly polls, before Abdullah emerged victorious from here in 2024.

Mehdi has since fallen out with the party leadership over several issues, including the current reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir, and did not campaign for the party candidate for the byelection.

An influential Shia leader, Mehdi's absence from the campaign of NC candidate Aga Mehmood, who happens to be his relative, is seen as a major challenge for the party.

The ruling party has spared no effort -- deploying senior leaders, including the chief minister himself and his cabinet colleagues -- to campaign for the party candidate and ensure victory from Budgam. The campaigning ended Sunday evening.

Mehmood faces a stiff challenge from the PDP's (People's Democratic Party) Aga Muntazir.

Besides the two Shia candidates, other key candidates include the BJP's Syed Mohsin, Awami Ittehad Party's Nazir Ahmad Khan, Aam Aadmi Party's Deeba Khan, and independent candidate Muntazir Mohiuddin.

If the NC emerges victorious from the seat, it would be a morale boost to the party not just electorally, but organisationally too, as it would demonstrate the party's ability to pull a favourable result even without Mehdi, who enjoys a significant sway in the constituency.

The bye-election would also be a test for the ruling party on another level -- its 2024 assembly poll promises.

The NC contested the assembly elections last year with the promise to strive for restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's political and legal status under articles 370 and 35-A, and statehood as prior to August 5, 2019.

It also promised repealing the Public Safety Act, introducing a job package for the youth, and implementing a balanced reservation policy.

However, after coming to power, the ruling party has faced criticism for shifting focus from the restoration of Article 370, instead pushing for the restoration of statehood.

The chief minister has also been criticised for not being able to deliver on several other key poll promises, including revising the existing job reservation policy.

The opposition mounted a strong campaign accusing the Abdullah-led government of "failing" to deliver on its promises, including that of job creation, 200 units of free electricity, and a fair reservation policy.

Abdullah, however, has asserted that all the promises would be fulfilled. To counter the opposition's charges, the NC led an aggressive campaign, with the chief minister visiting the constituency for three consecutive days before the campaign ended. Abdullah addressed several gatherings and roadshows and appealed to the electorate to vote for the party candidate.

The Budgam assembly constituency has around 1.26 registered voters for whom 173 polling stations have been set up, officials said.

They said all arrangements, including a tight security cover, are in place to ensure smooth polling.

The Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and polling staff have been dispatched to their respective stations, the officials said.

The polling will begin at 7 am and continue until 6 pm. PTI SSB MIJ ARB ARB