CM Omar holds first rally in Nagrota, sets tone for fierce bypoll battle with BJP

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah held his first public rally in Nagrota on Wednesday to campaign for the National Conference (NC) candidate Shamim Begum, urging voters to elect a representative “who maintains a direct connection with the ruling government.”

Nagrota, along with Budgam, will go to the Assembly bypolls on November 11. The election in Nagrota was necessitated by the demise of BJP legislator Devender Singh Rana in October last year, just days after he was elected from the constituency.

Addressing the gathering, Omar told voters that the bypoll was not about government formation but about choosing a representative who could effectively work with the ruling administration.

“This election is not for forming the government. You will not decide who will become Chief Minister or Prime Minister — those polls are over,” Omar said. “Even if the BJP wins this seat, they won’t be able to form the government, and if we don’t win, we will not lose our government.”

He added, “What you will decide is your relationship with the ruling government — whether you want an MLA who has direct relations with the government and can work for you, or an MLA sitting outside the government.”

Omar noted that while the NC formed the government in Jammu and Kashmir after last year’s Assembly elections, the party’s candidate from Nagrota could not secure a win. Interestingly, the late Devender Singh Rana had earlier been a senior NC leader and a close associate of Omar Abdullah before joining the BJP in 2021.

The NC’s candidate, Shamim Begum, currently serves as a District Development Council (DDC) member and is considered influential in several pockets of the constituency. Due to a technical glitch in the microphone, Omar had to cut short his address midway through the rally.

Meanwhile, the BJP intensified its campaign in the constituency. Ashok Koul, the party’s J&K general secretary (organisation), along with Sham Lal Sharma, in-charge of the Nagrota bypoll, chaired a high-level meeting to review preparedness. The meeting focused on strengthening booth-level structures, energising the party cadre, and reinforcing coordination among organisational teams ahead of polling day.

Addressing party workers, Koul said that victory in Nagrota would reflect “people’s faith in the BJP’s ideology of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas.” He emphasised disciplined planning and execution at every booth, describing every activist as “a vital link in the party’s organisational strength.”

“Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, Nagrota has witnessed remarkable transformation through improved infrastructure, connectivity and people-centric schemes,” Koul said. “Our task is to take these achievements to every doorstep, counter misinformation with facts, and reach out personally to families, youth, women, and first-time voters to convey the message of progress and stability.”