SrinagarOctober 22, 2025 09:51 AM IST
First published on: Oct 22, 2025 at 09:31 AM IST
A year after Omar Abdullah registered an emphatic win in Budgam in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, the constituency is set for a by-election on November 11. Though the J&K Chief Minister — he retained his family bastion, Ganderbal, after winning both constituencies — is not in direct contest this time, the bypoll result is likely to be read as the first verdict on his first year in power.
Budgam has been a traditional stronghold of Omar’s party National Conference (NC) for almost five decades — the party has been winning it since 1977 — and looks set for a dramatic contest this time with three “Agas” in the fray. While the NC has fielded veteran politician Aga Mehmood, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is banking on Aga Muntzair Mehdi who contested against Omar last year, and the BJP has fielded Aga Syed Mohsin, though not from the family of the first two Agas.
What makes the contest interesting is the absence of another Aga, Ruhullah Mehdi, a three-term Budgam MLA. Now the Srinagar MP, Ruhullah has said he will not campaign for any candidate, not even Aga Mehmood who is his great-uncle.
“My loyalty is to my 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,” Ruhullah posted on X after Mehmood said he had spoken to the MP and that Ruhullah would campaign for him.
Ruhullah represented Budgam from 2002 to 2014. In 2024, when he was elected to Parliament, it was seen as a safe seat for Omar. While Omar’s decision to give up Budgam did not go down well with several voters, the biggest concern for the NC and the CM is the growing difference between the party and Ruhullah, who was the NC’s star campaigner in the 2024 Assembly elections. The differences have grown to the extent that both the MP and the CM have acknowledged that there is no communication between the two sides.
Taking a stand on some critical issues such as the demand to get back the special status of J&K and the rationalisation of reservation, Ruhullah has grown in stature over the last year, especially among the youth. This may be of concern to Mehmood, a former minister, as he will be banking on the substantial Shia population in the constituency.
PDP candidate Muntazir is Ruhullah’s cousin, but the two families don’t get along well. Muntazir is hoping to win the support of those who are dissatisfied with the performance of the Omar government. The BJP candidate, Aga Mohsin, is from a less influential Shia family and is not a well-known figure. His chances of making an impact will depend on the extent to which his other two rivals cancel each other out.
NC insiders said the party would throw its weight into the campaign as it has several points to prove. The NC does not want the bypoll to turn into a report card on the government’s first year in power and wants to establish that the party is “above any individual”.
However, with the Shia vote set to split, there is an opening for many other candidates to spring a surprise. One of them is former trade union leader Ghulam Mohidin Bhat (also known as Muntazir Mohidin), who is contesting as an Independent. In the 2014 Assembly elections, Mohidin, as a PDP candidate, gave a stiff competition to Ruhullah, losing to him by 2,787 votes.