Budgam: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday accompanied National Conference (NC) candidate Agha Syed Mehmood as he filed his nomination papers for the Budgam Assembly by-election.
Speaking to reporters outside the venue, Omar Abdullah said he never intended to contest elections from two seats — Ganderbal and Budgam — in the 2024 Assembly polls. He added that vacating the Budgam seat later led to the current by-election.
“I never wanted to fight on two seats. I left Budgam, but not its development,” Omar Abdullah said, reaffirming his commitment to the constituency.
Expressing confidence in the NC candidate, the Chief Minister said, “We hope Agha Mehmood secures a decisive victory from here. Farooq Abdullah consulted party members before finalizing Agha Mehmood’s candidature. There was no rush — the decision was made on day one.”
Agha Mehmood will face PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi in the bypoll, while AAP has fielded Deeba Khan.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has scheduled the Budgam by-election for November 11, with vote counting to be held on November 14. The bypoll is among eight to be conducted across seven states and Union Territories to fill vacancies caused by resignations, deaths, or disqualifications.
In Jammu and Kashmir, by-elections will be held in Budgam and Nagrota constituencies. Other states going to polls include Rajasthan (Anta), Jharkhand (Ghatshila), Telangana (Jubilee Hills), Punjab (Tarn Taran), Mizoram (Dampa), and Odisha (Nuapada).
The ECI has confirmed that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) systems will be deployed across all polling stations to ensure a fair and transparent election process.
