MP Aga Ruhullah’s absence from Budgam bypoll campaign ‘political suicide’: Omar

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday termed Lok Sabha MP Aga Ruhullah’s absence from the recent Budgam bypoll campaign as “political suicide” and also said that the National Conference would soon analyse the reasons for defeat in Budgam and Nagrota.

Abdullah’s comment came while talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function following the NC’s electoral setback in Budgam. He contested from the Budgam and Ganderbal seats during the 2024 elections and won both, later vacating the Budgam seat.

The chief minister announced a comprehensive internal review of the results, but did not mince words in discussing the political ramifications of the Budgam results and Ruhullah’s decision to abstain from campaigning.

“There is an English proverb — you cut your nose to spite your face. Whatever message he wanted to send to me is one thing, but politically he has taken a suicidal step,” Abdullah said, adding “the person (PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi) who won the seat from there will never allow him to rise again.” The chief minister said that while he could personally recover political losses, Ruhullah’s future in the Budgam constituency was now fundamentally uncertain.

He also mentioned that the NC would not jump to conclusions about the defeat, attributing it partly to the unique voting demographics of the area.

“We contested the election to win, but the people of Budgam wanted something else. We wanted Budgam’s progress and the betterment of the people there. We wanted them to maintain a close relationship with the government for the next four years. But the people of Budgam wanted something else,” he said.

The chief minister noted that a “large section” of the Budgam electorate votes purely on personal preference and not on issues.

He further informed that NC president Farooq Abdullah would convene a working committee meeting soon to analyse the electoral loss in Budgam and Nagrota, find shortcomings and make necessary corrections within the party and the government.

On the topic of the Bihar election results, Abdullah remarked that expectations from the Congress party were “inflated” due to a recent “vote theft” yatra, which, in turn, “made seat-sharing more difficult.” Praising Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, he said that Kumar had successfully turned anti-incumbency into an advantage.

“He kept caste divisions aside and delivered significantly for women, and that clearly benefited him,” Abdullah said and urged other states to learn from Kumar’s governance model.