Srinagar: National Conference (NC) president, Dr. Farooq Abdullah Saturday said the party’s defeat in the Budgam Assembly by-election should be taken as a “lesson” rather than a setback, and that the party will work on its shortcomings.
Speaking to the media, senior Abdullah said the party must reflect on the reasons behind the loss.
“We should be happy; it gives us a lesson. We should not panic. Defeat teaches us a lesson, and wherever there are shortcomings, we will try to improve them,” he said.
His remarks came after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) registered a historic win in Budgam for the first time, defeating the National Conference candidate by a margin of 4,478 votes.
The Budgam seat, long considered a stronghold of NC, slipped from the party’s grip in the by-election held after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah vacated the constituency to retain Ganderbal.
Meanwhile, senior NC leader and Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker, Abdul Rahim Rather said that the party’s defeat in the Budgam by-election must be viewed in a wider political context, adding that the votes secured by the winning PDP candidate were not solely his own.
“This is not a PDP vote. This is Ruhullah’s vote, Maulvi (Imaran Raza) Ansari’s vote and the candidate’s own family vote,” Rather said, adding that the combined support of these leaders increased the PDP tally by nearly 3,500 votes compared to previous elections.
He said that in the 2024 Assembly polls, the PDP had secured around 17,000 votes in the constituency, and this time the total had risen to over 21,000 only because “both Ruhullah and Ansari brought their respective support bases together.”
Commenting on the NC’s first-ever loss in Budgam, the Speaker said that democratic results must be respected. “In elections, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. There is no problem in accepting the people’s decision,” he said.
He also said that, as Speaker, he does not participate in active politics but can comment on the election trend from a “financial and numerical perspective.”
Speaking about the Nowgam Police Station blast, Rather described the incident as tragic and said it must be investigated thoroughly.
“It is a matter of great misfortune. It should be investigated, and we must reach the bottom of it. Those responsible should be prosecuted according to law,” he added while urging them not to speculate about the cause of the blast and emphasized the need to uphold law and order.
“My only appeal is that nobody should be punished without reason, and nobody should be harmed unjustly,” he said.
When asked whether the government would be able to meet people’s expectations, Rather said the administration is making sincere efforts. “We are trying,” he responded briefly. (With inputs from KNO & KNS)
