Budgam’s verdict: NC’s silence speaks louder than its words

By Arsalan Ahad Reshi

Chilly winds blow through the offices of the National Conference after the loss of their bastion. They appear unable to understand what went wrong, but the people know. Ego and the mishandling of Aga Ruhullah Mehdi did it all. Omar Abdullah, the Chief Minister, still refuses to show humility. His interview soon after the results revealed his anger toward Ruhullah, but also his refusal to accept defeat. No one in the NC is willing to say, “Yes, we lost, and we accept our mistake.”

A statement from Aga Mahmood, the NC candidate from Budgam, has surfaced, but it reads more like ritual than genuine gratitude to voters or congratulations to the winning candidate. Other defeated candidates across parties accepted their loss and vowed to work harder. The NC alone continues to shift blame onto Ruhullah, holding him accountable for their downfall. During the campaign, the party sidelined Ruhullah’s contribution to their 2024 victory. Yet, once the results came, they accused him of not campaigning enough, claiming this gave the PDP its edge.

Omar Abdullah, addressing the media, remarked, “Ruhullah did whatever he had to do to give me a message. We’ll rise again in Budgam. But he must think about himself. Will this man he made to win let him win in Budgam ever again?” Even now, Omar Abdullah refuses to acknowledge that Ruhullah was the one who secured Budgam for him earlier, and that it was Ruhullah’s decision that changed the outcome this time. Victory rallies carried posters of Aga Ruhullah with the slogan “Kaun Aga,” a pointed response to the Deputy Chief Minister’s dismissive remark, “Kaun Aga, mai kise Aga ko nahi janata.” Though he later apologized, claiming he misheard the question amid noise, people knew exactly whom he meant.

Budgam’s vote was not just against false promises; it was a vote to shatter the arrogance of the National Conference, especially Omar Abdullah. Yet he continues to soar above reality. The entire cabinet, including the Chief Minister, campaigned hard, but still lost the seat by more than 4,000 votes. The PDP’s vote bank remained intact, while NC’s fractured—some votes went to PDP, others to Jibran Dar, and the rest scattered among smaller candidates. Budgam recorded a 50% turnout, proving that Aga Muntazir Mehdi’s victory was not born of boycott but of active, deliberate participation.

For a day, the National Conference went into hiding, silent and shattered. Now they attempt to counter the defeat by arguing that PDP did not win alone, but with support from the People’s Conference, Ruhullah Mehdi, JDF, and other smaller groups. They want to dilute PDP’s victory by portraying it as a coalition win. Yet by the same logic, NC’s own 2024 success was not theirs alone—it came through the INDIA alliance. NC wants sole credit for its victories but insists on dividing PDP’s.

History reminds us that Farooq Abdullah became Chief Minister in 1984 only after allying with Mirwaiz Molvi Farooq, whom he abandoned in 1986 when he signed the Farooq-Rajiv Accord. Does NC ever acknowledge this? No. Because alliances have always been their path to power, though they never admit it. When others do the same, NC cherry-picks facts to discredit them. But the people now see through this narrative.

In Budgam, it was 41 MLAs against three from PDP, yet the three wiped out the entire cabinet and registered a historic win. Aga Muntazir Mehdi has already begun working even before taking oath. When a tragic accident struck Budgam, he rushed to the hospital immediately, assuring people of support. He even traveled to SKIMS to meet patients, spending the night there to ensure they did not feel abandoned.

The National Conference is trying desperately to spin this defeat, but the strength of PDP’s win has left them feeling as though they lost all 41 seats. Their grand mandate has been reduced to rubble by a single constituency. Budgam marks not only the revival of PDP but also a lesson for NC. They must stop repeating the “five-year mandate” line and start working before it is too late.

---

Arsalan Ahad Reshi is a BBA student and an activist

Comments

Modi’s Israel visit strengthened Pakistan’s hand in US–Iran truce: Ex-Indian diplomat

By Jag Jivan M. K. Bhadrakumar , a career diplomat with three decades of service in postings across the former Soviet Union, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Germany, and Turkey, has warned that the current truce in the US–Iran war is “fragile and ridden with contradictions.” Writing in his blog India Punchline , Bhadrakumar argues that while Pakistan has emerged as a surprising broker of dialogue, the durability of the ceasefire remains uncertain.

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

Why Indo-Pak relations have been on 'knife’s edge' , hostilities may remain for long

By Utkarsh Bajpai* The past few decades have seen strides being made in all aspects of life – from sticks and stones to weaponry. The extreme case of this phenomenon has been nuclear weapons. The menace caused by nuclear weapons in the past is unforgettable. Images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from 1945 come to mind, after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities.

Incarceration of Prof Saibaba 'revives' the question: What is crime, who is criminal?

By Kunal Pant* In 2016, a Supreme Court Judge asked the state of Maharashtra, “Do you want to extract a pound of flesh?” The statement was directed against the state for contesting the bail plea of Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba. Saibaba was arrested in 2014, a justification for which was to prevent him from committing what the police called “anti-national activities.”

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Beneath the stone: Revisiting the New Jersey mandir controversy

By Rajiv Shah A recent report published in the British media outlet The Guardian , titled “Workers carved the largest modern Hindu temple in the west. Now, some have incurable lung disease,” took me back to my visits to the New Jersey mandir —first in 2022, when it was still under construction, though parts of it were open to visitors, and again in 2024, after its completion.

Civil society flags widespread violations of land acquisition Act before Parliamentary panel

By Jag Jivan Civil society organisations and stakeholders from across India have presented stark evidence before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj , alleging systemic violations of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013 , particularly in Scheduled Areas and tribal regions.

Ecologist Dr. S. Faizi urges UN intervention to save 35 million Gulf migrants

By A Representative Renowned ecologist and veteran United Nations negotiator Dr. S. Faizi has issued an urgent appeal to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, calling for immediate diplomatic intervention to halt escalating conflict in the Persian Gulf. In a formal letter copied to several UN missions, Faizi warned that the lives and livelihoods of 35 million migrant workers—who comprise the vast majority of the population in many Gulf cities—are facing an unprecedented existential crisis.

Search This Blog