Budgam, Nov 14 : In a significant political shift, the PDP has wrested the Budgam Assembly seat from the National Conference as its candidate Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi secured a decisive victory in the by-election that concluded on Friday. The result marks the fall of what was long regarded as one of NC’s traditional bastions, signalling a clear change in voter sentiment across the constituency.
Final figures show that Aga Syed Muntazir polled 21,576 votes, defeating his nearest rival Aga Syed Mahmood Al Mosavi of the National Conference, who secured 17,098 votes. Independent candidate Jibran Dar emerged third with 7,152 votes, while BJP candidate Aga Syed Mohsin Mosvi secured 2,619 votes.
Several other contestants finished with lower tallies. Independent candidate Nazir Ahmad Khan secured 3,089 votes, Mohd Sameer Bhat ended with 2,534, and Muntazir Mohi-ud-Din received 3,030. Mukhtar Ahmad Dar of the J&K Apni Party got 1,710 votes, while Dr Mohd Maqbool Bhat polled 1,225. Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat finished with 904, Deeba Khan with 459, Aditi Sharma with 283, Manzoor Ahmad Ganie with 223, Shabir Ahmad Ganie with 171, Mohammad Shafi Shah with 213, Parvej Ahmad Mir with 212, and Farooq Ahmad with 57 votes.
NOTA accounted for 544 votes, surpassing multiple candidates at the bottom of the list.
Political observers said the outcome reflected cumulative undercurrents in Budgam. The Aga Syed Ruhullah influence, particularly among Shia-dominated segments, significantly strengthened PDP’s position. A substantial section of Jamaat-e-Islami sympathisers, who had voted for Omar Abdullah in 2024, shifted to PDP this time after Omar resigned from the constituency, creating a vacuum that weakened NC’s traditional support structure.
Additionally, supporters of Imran Ansari, known for their rivalry with NC, also backed the PDP candidate, resulting in a consolidation of anti-NC votes. Combined with local grievances and perceptions of neglect, these factors contributed to a mandate in favour of the PDP.
With this victory, the PDP has re-established a foothold in central Kashmir, turning Budgam into a battleground constituency and delivering a significant electoral setback to the ruling National Conference. [KNT]
