Political Parties Vie For Omar Abdullah's Former Budgam Assembly Seat 

Political parties have announced candidates and are gearing up for a decisive fight for Budgam, as NC and Congress negotiate a potential alliance.

The Election Commission called these by-elections after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah vacated the seat last year to retain his family bastion of Ganderbal following his victory in two seats.

Voting is scheduled for November 11, with counting on November 14. The ECI schedule sets the nomination deadline for October 20, scrutiny for October 22, and withdrawal for October 24.

The National Conference (NC) has traditionally held the Budgam seat. Former minister and current party MP Aga Syed Ruhulla won earlier elections by drawing on his large support base among the Shia voters. The NC has retained this seat since 1996, when the government first held elections after years of militancy beginning in 1989.

While the NC and PDP have not yet declared their candidates, Apni Party and Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) have announced theirs, indicating varied party strategies for Budgam.

Apni Party has fielded Mukhtar Ahmad Dar, while AIP is represented by former DDC chairman Nazir Ahmad Khan.

Congress chief spokesperson, Ravinder Sharma, states that ongoing negotiations with the NC concern candidate selection for Budgam and Nagrota. He indicates a preference: Congress for Nagrota, NC for Budgam, pending final decisions.

Farooq Andrabi, Apni Party media advisor, confirms the party's decision to contest both Nagrota and Budgam independently. Apni Party's candidates are Mukhtar Ahmad Dar for Budgam and Bodh Raj for Nagrota, reflecting their self-reliant strategy.

BJP has nominated former sarpanch Aga Mohsin for Budgam, campaigning on promises of development for the constituency, which also functions as a district headquarters.

Hakeem Ruhulla Ghazi, BJP district president Budgam, says “the party will fight the elections on its pledge to promote development in the constituency, which has faced neglect. development of Budgam constituency, be it better roads or setting up of new industries,” he says.

In last year’s assembly elections, the seat had become important for Omar Abdullah, who had lost the parliamentary elections to AIP’s Sheikh Rashid.

Omar had secured 35,804 votes, while PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi got 17,445 votes, and 3,365 votes were polled by Nisar Ahmad Pal of the People's Democratic Front (PDF).

In the past, NC candidate Ruhulla maintained a winning streak in the constituency before joining the parliamentary polls and winning the Srinagar seat by defeating PDP candidate Waheed Parra, who is now an MLA from the Pulwama assembly constituency.

In 2014, Ruhulla won with 30,059 votes against PDP’s Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Bhat, who got 27,272. He also won in 2008 and 2002, maintaining a strong lead over rivals. In 1996, Syed Ghulam Hassan Geelani of NC won the seat after a high voter turnout.

In the constituency, the divide between the Shias and Sunnis remains a major winning factor, as the Shias live in sizeable numbers here, providing an edge to the leaders from the sect who contest the polls. Nearly 1.26 lakh people are eligible to vote in the seat.