Srinagar: National Conference (NC) candidate for the Budgam Assembly bypoll, Aga Syed Mehmood, on Wednesday said it was up to Aga Ruhullah to decide whether he wanted to campaign for him.
“It is for him (Ruhullah) to decide whether he wishes to join the campaign or not. He is a party man and also my relative — I cannot deny that. However, it is his personal choice whether he wants to campaign or not,” Mehmood told reporters while campaigning.
Polling for the Budgam Assembly seat is scheduled for November 11, and counting of votes will take place on November 14.
Ruhullah, the NC’s Lok Sabha member from Srinagar, has been at odds with the party leadership over the reservation policy. He had supported protesting students last year who demanded a review of the quota system that allots only 30 percent of seats to the general category, which constitutes nearly 70 percent of the population.
Clarifying his earlier remarks about Ruhullah, Mehmood accused the media of misrepresenting his statement.
“I never said it doesn’t matter whether he comes to campaign or not. Ruhullah belongs to a political dynasty and has a strong support base,” he said.
However, Mehmood maintained that Ruhullah’s political rise was possible because of the National Conference.
“He was elected MLA three times and is now an MP because of the National Conference. He entered Parliament only because the party gave him a mandate. He couldn’t have won independently. I am also contesting this election because of the party,” Mehmood asserted.
Earlier, after filing his nomination papers on Monday, Mehmood had claimed that Ruhullah would campaign for the NC. But Ruhullah promptly dismissed the suggestion.
“My loyalty is to my conscience and principles. While I respect my elders in the family, I request them not to belittle my fight. If they cannot understand or support it, they should at least refrain from dragging me and my struggle down,” Ruhullah wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
