Srinagar- In a surprising turn of events, Omar Abdullah, former chief minister and the vice president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference will run for the elections from the Budgam constituency in addition to his candidacy for Ganderbal. Omar is likely to file his nomination papers at the Deputy Commissioners (DC) office in Budgam today.
He will be accompanied by the senior party leaders including the incumbent Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi.
Pertinently, Omar will be first candidate from across Jammu and Kashmir, who will be contesting on two seats in the upcoming assembly elections
This decision has stirred unrest among party members and supporters.
Senior NC leader and former minister Aga Syed Mehmood, who was earlier anticipated to contest from Budgam, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the party’s choice, and said that he will no longer support the National Conference in Budgam.
“There’s no way I can participate in any campaigning for Omar,” Mehmood asserted.
“Even if I want to support my party leader, my people won’t allow it. How can I do this when I have no mandate?” Mehmood told Kashmir Observer.
He said that this decision has come as a shocker to his supporters. “My vote bank, which is substantial, hasn’t been taken into consideration. “I don’t know what kind of politics this is, where you sideline people’s aspirations.”
Notably, the Aga family holds considerable sway within a section of the Shia community, and Mehmood believes that Omar’s candidature could give an edge to a candidate from the Aga family running under another party’s banner. “Clearly, people will support a Shia candidate like Aga Muntazir over a non-local,” he said.
Aga Mehmood’s influence runs deep across Budgam, Beerwah, and Sonawari areas. “The new candidate will have to start from zero,” he said, highlighting the potential difficulty in rallying support without the backing of Mehmood’s established base.”
“Had I been given the chance, I could have filed my nomination from another constituency, where I enjoy significant support like Beerwah,” Mehmood said.
When asked if he would consider running as an independent candidate or run from another constituency, Aga Syed Mehmood was clear in his response: “No, I have no plans to contest as an independent, nor will I be filing my nominations from any other constituency.”
“Mehmood’s withdrawal not only signifies personal discontent but also reflects broader internal conflicts within the NC. His stance suggests a fragmentation of the party’s support base in Budgam, potentially benefiting rival candidates and altering the electoral landscape,”observers say.
Pertinently, In 2014 elections, Abdullah contested from two constituencies but secured a win only in Beerwah.
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