Budgam, Nov 14 (KNO): In a landmark political shift, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won the Budgam Assembly Constituency for the first time in history, breaking the decades-long dominance of National Conference (NC) in the central Kashmir seat.
According to the figures available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi secured 21,576 votes, while NC’s Aga Syed Mahmood Al-Mosavi bagged 17,098 votes, giving the PDP a winning margin of 4,478 votes.
The victory marks a significant breakthrough for the party, which had never won Budgam in any previous assembly election.
The by-election was necessitated after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who won both Ganderbal and Budgam seats last year, chose to retain Ganderbal, leaving Budgam vacant.
Despite Budgam being an NC stronghold, historically held by the Aga family, the party’s campaign appeared visibly weaker this time.
Senior NC leader and MP Aga Syed Ruhulla Mehdi, who holds substantial influence in the constituency, did not campaign for the party candidate.
Political observers say this contributed to a split in NC’s traditional vote base, benefiting the PDP.
For the PDP, the victory marks a crucial political milestone. Until now, the party had only three members in the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly. With this win, the PDP will now have four MLAs, strengthening its position in the House.
The seat has historically remained out of the PDP’s reach.
In 2024, Omar Abdullah (NC) defeated PDP’s Muntazir Mehdi by 18,485 votes; in 2014, 2008 and 2002, NC’s Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi won consecutively and in 1996, NC’s Syed Gh. Hussain Geelani won the seat.
With a strong margin and a historic breakthrough, PDP’s victory in Budgam is being seen as a sign of shifting political winds in central Kashmir.
The party leadership is expected to capitalise on this momentum as it prepares for the next political cycle—(KNO)