Omar Abdullah’s National Conference loses Budgam and Nagrota seats in J&K bypolls
The most notable loss came in Budgam, the seat once held by Omar Abdullah, who had vacated it in the 2024 elections after winning Ganderbal
- Nov 14, 2025,
- Updated Nov 14, 2025 5:19 PM IST
The National Conference faced a double defeat in the Jammu and Kashmir by-elections, with the party losing both seats it contested. The most notable loss came in Budgam, the seat once held by Omar Abdullah, who had vacated it in the 2024 elections after winning Ganderbal.
In the contest for Budgam, Aga Syed Muntazi Mehdi of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) triumphed with 21,576 votes, edging out the National Conference candidate Aga Syed Mahmood Al-Mosvai, who secured 17,098 votes, trailing the PDP candidate by 4,478 votes. This victory for the PDP brings the party’s tally in the J&K Legislative Assembly to four seats.
Sources indicated that Aga Ruhulla, the National Conference MP from Srinagar, had stayed away from campaigning due to differences with Omar Abdullah, which may have contributed to the party's poor performance in the constituency.
National Conference's third-place finish in Nagrota
In another setback, the National Conference finished a distant third in the Nagrota by-election, with its candidate Shamim Begum receiving 10,872 votes — 31,478 votes behind the BJP's Devyani Rana, who won the seat with a total of 42,350 votes. Hars Dev Singh of the Jammu & Kashmir National Panthers Party (India) secured second place with 17,703 votes.
The Nagrota by-election was called following the death of sitting MLA Devender Singh Rana in October 2024. Despite strong competition, the BJP managed to retain the seat, further solidifying its political influence in the region.
The National Conference faced a double defeat in the Jammu and Kashmir by-elections, with the party losing both seats it contested. The most notable loss came in Budgam, the seat once held by Omar Abdullah, who had vacated it in the 2024 elections after winning Ganderbal.
In the contest for Budgam, Aga Syed Muntazi Mehdi of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) triumphed with 21,576 votes, edging out the National Conference candidate Aga Syed Mahmood Al-Mosvai, who secured 17,098 votes, trailing the PDP candidate by 4,478 votes. This victory for the PDP brings the party’s tally in the J&K Legislative Assembly to four seats.
Sources indicated that Aga Ruhulla, the National Conference MP from Srinagar, had stayed away from campaigning due to differences with Omar Abdullah, which may have contributed to the party's poor performance in the constituency.
National Conference's third-place finish in Nagrota
In another setback, the National Conference finished a distant third in the Nagrota by-election, with its candidate Shamim Begum receiving 10,872 votes — 31,478 votes behind the BJP's Devyani Rana, who won the seat with a total of 42,350 votes. Hars Dev Singh of the Jammu & Kashmir National Panthers Party (India) secured second place with 17,703 votes.
The Nagrota by-election was called following the death of sitting MLA Devender Singh Rana in October 2024. Despite strong competition, the BJP managed to retain the seat, further solidifying its political influence in the region.