SRINAGAR: National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah on Saturday responded to the party’s loss in the Budgam Assembly by-election, describing the defeat not as a setback but as a “lesson” that underscores the need for introspection and improvement.
Speaking to reporters, Abdullah said the party must honestly assess what went wrong.
“We should take this positively; it gives us a lesson. There is no need to panic. Defeat teaches us where we falter, and wherever there are shortcomings, we will work to address them,” he said.
His comments came after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured a landmark victory in Budgam for the first time, defeating the NC candidate by 4,478 votes.
The Budgam constituency, long regarded as an NC stronghold, slipped from the party’s grasp in the by-election held after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah vacated the seat to retain Ganderbal.
