Srinagar, Nov 14: Barely a year after returning to power, the Omar Abdullah–led government is facing a major electoral setback, losing the Nagrota seat by a huge margin while the party’s traditional bastion Budgam is also slipping out of its hands despite an aggressive, high-profile campaign.
In Nagrota, Devyani Rana registered a sweeping victory with a margin of 24647. Rana got 42,183 votes, defeating DPAP chairman Harsh Dev Singh, who polled 17,661 votes. The National Conference candidate Shamim Begum finished a distant third with 10,834 votes, a result that has rattled the ruling party’s political calculations.
In central Kashmir’s Budgam, where the party has historically dominated, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is now firmly in the lead. After thirteen rounds of counting, PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi has secured 20280 votes, taking a significant lead of 5238 over NC’s Aga Syed Mahmood, who has so far polled 15042 votes.
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The NC leadership had deployed what party insiders described as a “parade of 42 MLAs” to consolidate support and retain its strongholds. However, trends show the strategy has failed to counter the emerging anti-incumbency wave, reported news agency Kashmir Dot Com.
Party insiders also point out that MP Aga Ruhullah’s absence from the Budgam campaign has emerged as a significant factor in the National Conference’s struggle. Ruhullah, one of the political voices in the district, did not participate in the ground campaign, a move that is now being widely viewed as a major setback for the NC in its traditional stronghold. His distance from the election effort, they say, may have further weakened the party’s outreach at a time when the PDP was aggressively mobilising voters.
With Nagrota already lost and Budgam heading toward a likely loss, analysts say the ruling dispensation is witnessing its first major political jolt since assuming office last year. (KDC)
