Blames Silent Votes, Vows Introspection
Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Friday that the National Conference (NC) party is expecting tough competition even before campaigning begins in Budgam.
“In Budgam, people do not vote only for work,” he told reporters. “There is a significant segment of people who did not vote at all. Many voters are silently making their choices behind the scenes. So I already knew that it would not be easy for us,” he said.
Abdullah, who is also NC vice-chairman, said the final result was influenced by a combination of silent votes, internal dissatisfaction and evolving political sentiment. “We accept the decision and continue on our way,” he said.
The Chief Minister also stated that NC MP from Srinagar, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, had “hurt himself politically” by withdrawing from the Budgam election campaign and said the move was intended to send a message to the party but ultimately hurt Ruhullah more than anyone else. While explaining Ruhullah’s decision, he used the English expression ‘you cut off your nose to spite your face’.
Elaborating on the matter, he said, “Ruhullah killed himself to give me a message… But remember, the one who wins from there will not allow Ruhullah to be resurrected again.” The Prime Minister added that Ruhullah’s political survival in Budgam will now depend on his ability to reclaim his territory. “Only Ruhullah can decide whether he will be resurrected in Budgam or not,” he said. “Whatever happened, happened,” he said, adding, “Something else we wanted. We wanted development in Budgam, we wanted them to have a relationship with the ruling party, but people wanted otherwise. Now we will analyze the result, where we went wrong, and strengthen our resolution.” Ruhullah remained distant due to unfulfilled promises, and Abdullah’s one-year rule saw shifting political views amid accusations of governance lapses.
In a frank assessment after the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) decisive victory in the Nagrota assembly bypoll, Abdullah acknowledged the challenges faced by the NC and stressed that he had expected a tough fight all along. He highlighted the NC’s bold decision to field candidates against the BJP despite allies like the Congress withdrawing at the last minute. Underlining the party’s resolve to directly confront the BJP during the campaign, he had said, “We got a call in the middle of the night from the Congress saying they would not contest, so we decided to file the papers overnight because we wanted the BJP to face a real challenge.”
Abdullah spoke in a flexible tone. “We accept the decision and move forward,” he confirmed, signaling a focus on introspection and renewal.
