Omar Abdullah, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and son of National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, secured a massive win at the Budgam assembly seat in J&K, defeating PDP's Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi by over 16,000 votes.

With just one round of counting to go, Abdullah secured 32,344 votes which was 16,294 more than Mehdi's 16,050 votes.

Abdullah, who is the front runner for the post of chief minister, is also leading from the family bastion of Ganderbal by a margin of over 5,000 votes over PDP candidate Bashir Ahmad Mir.

The Budgam Assembly constituency, a stronghold of the National Conference since 1977, is set for a high-stakes contest in the elections in Jammu and Kashmir with overall voter turnout recorded at 58.97%. Political pundits view this seat as a prime opportunity for Omar Abdullah, the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and son of National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, to make a comeback in the politically fragmented region.

Electorate and Key Candidates

Omar Abdullah, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and son of National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah is contesting from two constituencies – Budgam and Ganderbal – in Central Kashmir. Abdullah faced a significant setback against Engineer Rashid in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections for the Baramulla seat, making this election crucial for NC's survival in Kashmir's changing political landscape.

In Budgam, a National Conference stronghold since 1977, Abdullah faces competition from seven candidates, including PDP's Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi, the son of prominent Shia cleric and Hurriyat leader Aga Syed Hassan Mosavi, as well as Aga Syed Ahmad Moosvi from the Awami National Conference.

Meanwhile, jailed separatist leader Sarjan Ahmad Wagay, popularly known as Sarjan Barkati, is aiming to unseat Abdullah in the Ganderbal Assembly seat, while also contesting from Beerwah. Barkati was arrested by the State Investigation Agency (SIA) last year for an alleged fundraiser. Additionally, Mehbooba Mufti's People's Democratic Party (PDP) has questioned the Apni Party's support for Omar Abdullah in Budgam, asserting that Kashmir deserves transparency rather than "backdoor deals."

Vote Share (2014)

Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi of NC registered a win from this key seat in the last three Assembly polls (2002, 2008 and 2014).

Winner: Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi (JKNC): 30,090 votes, 43.76 % (vote share)

Gh. Moinuddin Bhat (JKPDP): 27,303 votes, 39.71% (vote share)

The margin of Victory: 2,787 votes

Party Performance in Previous Elections

In the 2014 assembly elections, the PDP emerged as the single-largest party in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, securing 28 out of 87 seats. The BJP followed closely as the second-largest party with 25 seats, while the National Conference and Congress managed only 15 and 12 seats, respectively.

Background of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections

As the region recently held assembly elections in phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, this election marks the first since the abrogation of Article 370. The Election Commission of India reported a noteworthy voter turnout of 63.88% in these elections. In this election cycle, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference and Congress contested jointly as partners in the INDIA alliance, while the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opted to fight independently.