PDP Breaches NC’s Fortress in Budgam; ‘Arrogance Recipe for Disaster’, MP Ruhulluh Mehdi’s Sly Dig at Party Leadership – Alfaaz – The Words

Srinagar: In a political major development that has shattered decades of entrenched dominance, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has decisively won the Budgam Assembly constituency, a seat long considered the inviolable bastion of the National Conference (NC).

PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi secured a resounding victory by a margin of 4,496 votes, a result that signals a profound erosion of public faith in the NC-led government. The win marks a historic breakthrough for the PDP, which had never before won this central Kashmir seat across multiple assembly elections.

The by-election, necessitated after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who won both Ganderbal and Budgam last year, chose to retain Ganderbal, has exposed a deep-seated public disillusionment. The NC campaign in its former stronghold was notably listless, a stark contrast to its usual fervor.

The failure was compounded by the conspicuous absence of senior NC leader and MP, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, from the campaign trail. His decision not to canvass for the party candidate is widely seen as a critical factor that split the NC’s traditional vote base, paving the way for the PDP’s ascent.

In a twist of fate, the MP’s recent social media post now reads as a brutal indictment of his own party’s performance. Quoting the Quran, he wrote on X, “I will turn away from My signs those who are arrogant upon the earth without right… That is because they have denied Our signs and they were heedless of them.” [Al-Araf: 146]

“Arrogance is the recipe for disaster. Consciousness, Humility and introspection is the way,” further reads the post.

For the PDP, this victory is a crucial milestone, increasing its strength in the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly to four members. More importantly, it serves as a powerful symbol of changing political winds in the region.