Omar Abdullah: ‘Ruhullah Has Cut His Nose to Spite His Face’ After PDP’s Budgam Win

 

The defeat of the National Conference in the Budgam by-election has triggered a sharp reaction from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who said the loss was a direct fallout of MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi distancing himself from the party’s campaign. Omar said Ruhullah’s refusal to support the NC candidate had damaged the party at a crucial moment.

 

 

The bypoll was won by PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi, who defeated NC’s Aga Syed Mehmood by a margin of 4,186 votes. Soon after the result, Omar said that Ruhullah had taken a step that would only harm his own political standing in Budgam.

 

 

Speaking to reporters, Omar said, “There is an English proverb- you cut your nose to spite your face. Whatever message he wanted to send to me is fine, but politically he has taken a suicidal step.” He added that the PDP winner would never allow Ruhullah to regain space in the constituency now.

 

 

Ruhullah, a senior Shia leader and MP from Srinagar, had openly refused to campaign for the NC candidate. He had also asked the party not to use his name or photo, citing unhappiness over delays in the Reservation Sub-Committee report, issues with smart electricity meters, and government’s silence on the restoration of statehood and Article 370.

 

 

Omar said the party could absorb the electoral setback, but the bigger loss was for Ruhullah himself. “I can recover my political losses. But he has made his own future in Budgam uncertain,” he said.

 

 

Omar had won both Budgam and Ganderbal in the 2024 elections but later gave up the Budgam seat and retained Ganderbal. NC workers, however, admitted that the lack of unity within the party ranks weakened their position in the bypoll, eventually giving the PDP an edge.