Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday described Lok Sabha MP Aga Ruhullah’s absence from the recent Budgam bypoll campaign as “political suicide,” saying the National Conference will soon review the reasons behind its defeats in Budgam and Nagrota.
Speaking to reporters after the NC’s setback in Budgam, Abdullah—who had contested and won both the Budgam and Ganderbal seats in the 2024 elections before vacating Budgam—said the party would conduct a comprehensive internal assessment of the results. He, however, was blunt about the impact of Ruhullah’s decision to stay away from campaigning.
“There is an English proverb: you cut your nose to spite your face. Whatever message he intended for me is another matter, but politically, he has taken a suicidal step,” Abdullah said. He added that the winner, PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi, would now “never allow him to rise again.”
Abdullah said that while he could overcome political setbacks, Ruhullah’s prospects in Budgam had become deeply uncertain.
He emphasised that the NC would not rush to conclusions, noting that the constituency’s voting behaviour is unique.
“We contested to win, but the people of Budgam wanted something else. We wanted progress, development, and a close connection between Budgam and the government for the next four years—but the voters chose differently,” he said.
Abdullah also pointed out that a “large section” of the electorate voted based on personal preference rather than issues.
He said NC president Farooq Abdullah would soon convene a working committee meeting to analyse the defeats in Budgam and Nagrota, identify shortcomings, and initiate corrective measures within the party and the government.
Commenting on the Bihar election results, Abdullah said expectations from the Congress were “inflated” due to its recent “vote theft” yatra, which had also complicated seat-sharing. He praised Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for converting anti-incumbency into an advantage.
“He put caste divisions aside, delivered significantly for women, and that clearly helped him,” Abdullah said, urging other states to draw lessons from Kumar’s governance model.
