Budgam Bypoll Heats Up: Major Parties Clash on Development, Trust, and Change as Top Leaders Back Their Candidates

Srinagar/Jammu, October 20: The nomination process for the Budgam Assembly by-election concluded today with candidates from major political parties, including the National Conference (NC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), filing their nomination papers. The by-election, scheduled for November 11, will see a strong multi-cornered contest, with counting of votes set for November 14.

National Conference candidate Agha Syed Mehmood filed his nomination papers in the presence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who accompanied him to the office. The by-election was necessitated after Omar Abdullah vacated the Budgam seat and retained his traditional stronghold, Ganderbal, following the 2024 Assembly elections. Addressing the media, Agha Syed Mehmood expressed confidence about his chances, saying that he would prioritize the development of the constituency. “I am hopeful for the best outcome. We will present our agenda clearly before the people. The people of Budgam have been waiting for active representation, and if I am elected, my focus will be on delivering development and public welfare,” he said.

PDP candidate Agha Syed Muntazir Mehdi, accompanied by party MLA Waheed Rehman Para, also filed his nomination. Mehdi said that the people of Budgam had been deprived of effective governance and basic rights for too long. “This mandate is not just an opportunity but a responsibility to represent the people’s voice and ensure that their issues are resolved. The people have been ignored for years, but this time they will vote for change,” he said. Waheed Para echoed this sentiment, adding that reservation should be proportional to the population. “Budgam had voted for the Chief Minister earlier, but even basic issues were not discussed in the Assembly. This by-election is a chance to elect someone who is accessible and responsive,” Para stated.

The BJP candidate, Agha Syed Mohsin, also filed his nomination papers, accompanied by Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma. Mohsin thanked the party leadership for trusting him with the responsibility to contest from Budgam. “This is an honour for me. I am contesting on behalf of the people and my party’s vision for progress. I believe we will win because people have lost faith in parties that made promises but never delivered,” he said. He further criticized the National Conference for what he termed as betrayal of public trust. “After winning from Budgam, Omar Abdullah abandoned this constituency. He has not visited here since becoming Chief Minister. We, on the other hand, have worked consistently on roads, hospitals, schools, and bridges. The poor have benefited from our schemes, and people will recognize that through their vote,” Mohsin added.

AAP candidate Deeba Khan also entered the fray, expressing determination despite facing strong rivals. “It is a challenge, but we are ready. People are increasingly supporting AAP because they see us as a people-centric party. We are going to give tough competition,” she said. Deeba highlighted the key issues facing Budgam, including poor electricity supply, lack of clean drinking water, damaged roads, and absence of healthcare infrastructure. “We want to see a Government Medical College here with modern facilities and hostel accommodations for students. We also demand that Soibugh be granted tehsil status to ensure better governance and services for its large population,” she added.

As the campaign gains momentum, the Budgam by-election is shaping up as a significant political contest between old loyalties and emerging aspirations. With the participation of all major parties, the poll outcome is expected to set the tone for future electoral alignments in Jammu and Kashmir, testing public trust in promises of development, accountability, and accessibility.