Blames Silent Votes, Vows Introspection

Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said that his National Conference (NC) party had anticipated a tough contest even before the campaigning began in Budgam.“In Budgam, people do not vote only on work,” he told reporters. “There is a significant section that does not vote on issues at all. Many voters make their choice quietly, behind the curtain. So I already knew it wouldn’t be easy for us,” he added.Abdullah, who is also NC vice president, said that the final outcome was influenced by a combination of silent votes, internal dissatisfaction and evolving political sentiment. “We accept the verdict and move forward,” he said.The Chief Minister further stated that NC MP from Srinagar, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi “damaged himself politically” by stepping away from the Budgam bypoll campaign, saying the move was intended to send a message to the party but ultimately hurt Ruhullah more than anyone else. He used the English expression “you cut your nose to spite your face” to describe Ruhullah’s decision.Elaborating, he said, “Ruhullah killed himself to give me a message…But remember, the person who has won from there will never let Ruhullah rise again.” The Chief Minister added that Ruhullah’s political survival in Budgam would now depend on his own ability to reclaim space. “Only Ruhullah can decide whether he will rise again in Budgam or not,” he said. “Whatever happened, happened,” he said, adding, “Something else we wanted. We wanted development in Budgam, we wanted them to have a relationship with the ruling party, but people wanted otherwise. Now we will analyse the result, where we went wrong, and strengthen our resolve.” Ruhullah distanced himself over unfulfilled promises, and a shifting political sentiment amid accusations of governance lapses in Abdullah’s one-year-old administration.In a candid assessment following the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) decisive victory in the Nagrota assembly bypoll, Abdullah acknowledged the challenges NC faced, emphasising that he had anticipated a grueling battle from the outset. He highlighted the NC’s bold decision to field a candidate against the BJP despite last-minute withdrawals by allies like the Congress. “At midnight, we got a call from Congress saying they wouldn’t contest, so we decided overnight to file papers because we wanted the BJP to face a real challenge,” he had remarked during the campaign, underscoring the party’s commitment to confronting the BJP head-on.Abdullah struck a resilient tone. “We accept the verdict and move forward,” he affirmed, signaling a focus on introspection and renewal.



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