Budgam voters reacted to 'broken promises, govt misconduct': Tariq Karra

Srinagar, Nov 14: Hours after BJP and PDP won the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly by-polls on Friday, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President, Tariq Hameed Karra Friday said the outcome of Budgam by-poll reflected public anger over “broken promises” and “government misconduct.”

Karra, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said there was nothing unexpected about the Nagrota result, noting that the seat was already held by the BJP.

“There is no surprising result in that,” he said.

However, he described the Budgam outcome as a signal of shifting public sentiment. “The change that has come in people in Budgam is a matter that needs to be looked into,” he said, adding that voters appeared to be responding to the circumstances in which the seat fell vacant.

The Budgam seat fell vacant after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who had won two seats, retained Ganderbal post 2024 Assembly elections.

Karra said voters remembered Abdullah’s promise that he would retain the seat where he secured a larger lead. “Their lead was more from Badgam, so people expressed their anger,” he said.

Karra also said that people were reacting to what he described as misconduct by the administration. “People are angry about that too,” he said.

In Budgam, PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi defeated National Conference’s Aga Syed Mehmood Al-Mosavi by 4,478 votes, securing 21,576 votes against Al-Mosavi’s 17,098. Voter turnout was around 50%.

In Nagrota, BJP’s Devyani Rana won the bypoll with 42,183 votes, defeating her nearest rival by 24,647 votes. The seat became vacant after the death of BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana, her father, in 2024. Turnout in the constituency was over 75%.