The stakes for the National Conference (NC) are very high in the Budgam Assembly byelection, as the party is fighting to retain one of its oldest strongholds in central Kashmir.
Although the People's Democratic Party (PDP) has been working hard to give the ruling party a tough fight, the prestige of the NC's top leadership is on the line in this seat, especially after the party's disenchanted Lok Sabha member, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, refused to campaign for the party's candidate.
Former minister Aga Syed Mehmood Al-Mousvi is contesting from Budgam on the National Conference mandate.
History of Budgam Assembly Seat
Year Winning Candidate Party
1962 Aga Syed Ali Safvi National Conference
1967 H. S. Mehdi National Conference
1972 Ali Mohammad Mir Indian National Congress
1977 Syed Ghulam Hussain National Conference
1983 Syed Ghulam Hussain National Conference
1987 Syed Ghulam Hussain National Conference
1996 Syed Ghulam Hussain National Conference
2002 Aga Ruhullah Mehdi National Conference
2008 Aga Ruhullah Mehdi National Conference
2014 Aga Ruhullah Mehdi National Conference
2024 Omar Abdullah National Conference
Budgam, often described as the citadel of the National Conference, has remained loyal to the party for decades. Except for the 1972 election, when Congress candidate Ali Mohammad Mir secured victory, the NC has consistently held the seat since 1977. In 2002, 2008, and 2014, senior NC leader Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi won the seat before moving to national politics.
In the 2024 Assembly elections, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah secured a decisive victory from Budgam, polling 36,010 votes—54.52 percent of the total 66,052 votes cast—while his nearest PDP rival managed 17,525 votes. The constituency, which has a Shia-majority electorate of about 1.25 lakh voters, recorded an impressive 66 percent turnout.
The byelection was necessitated after Omar Abdullah vacated Budgam to retain his family bastion of Ganderbal, which he also won in 2024. The contest has now become a litmus test for the NC government's performance in its first year in office, with opposition parties accusing it of failing to deliver on its electoral promises.
NC's Lok Sabha member declines to campaign for party candidate
National Conference Lok Sabha member Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, who won this Assembly seat in three successive elections—2002, 2008, and 2014—has announced that he will not participate in campaigning for the party in the upcoming Budgam bypoll.
He said his engagement with voters has always been guided by trust, accountability, and the delivery of commitments rather than party compulsions.
Ruhullah expressed disappointment that many promises made during the last Assembly tenure have not been implemented.
"If the party wants me to go in front of people, there are a few points I want to see addressed immediately. Only after that will I consider my participation," he said, adding that his decision was based on principle, not political strategy.
'Aga vs Aga vs Aga' in Budgam Seat
Budgam is witnessing a rare "Aga vs Aga vs Aga" showdown among three influential members of the prominent Shia Aga family.
Former minister Aga Syed Mehmood Al-Mousvi, contesting on the NC ticket, is banking on the party's organizational strength and historical loyalty. However, his campaign has been clouded by internal dissent after NC MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, a three-time MLA from Budgam and a known critic of Omar Abdullah, distanced himself from the campaign on grounds of "conscience," potentially alienating a section of the traditional NC vote base.
BJP MLA Candidate Sh. Aga Syed Mohsin accompanied by J&K BJP Senior Leader Dr. Ali Mohammed Mir, led an energetic campaign in Budgam Constituency, reaching out to the people and strengthening support for the party ahead of the Assembly Bye-election. pic.twitter.com/JKGTfhhuM8
— BJP Jammu & Kashmir (@BJP4JnK) November 3, 2025
The PDP has fielded Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi, who is emerging as a formidable challenger. Having contested against Omar Abdullah in 2024 and polled 17,445 votes, Muntazir has positioned the bypoll as a "protest vote" against what he calls the NC's neglect of Budgam. He has accused Omar of betraying voters by vacating the seat despite promising to represent it if victorious, likening Budgam's treatment by the NC to that of a "stepney" — a spare tire.
Meanwhile, Aga Syed Mohsin Mousvi of the BJP is seeking to capitalize on anti-incumbency sentiments against both the NC and PDP. He has accused the NC of "five decades of misrule" and blamed the PDP for "post-2002 failures," while promising employment, industrial growth, and infrastructure development. Unlike his rivals, he has steered clear of contentious issues such as Article 370 or statehood, instead highlighting the BJP's governance record at the Centre.
With the prestige of the National Conference and the credibility of the Omar Abdullah government at stake, the Budgam byelection has turned into a high-voltage triangular contest—one that could reshape political narratives in central Kashmir ahead of future polls.
