Srinagar- A year after casting their votes in the Assembly elections, residents of Budgam returned to polling booths on Tuesday - this time out of compulsion, not celebration - as the constituency went for by-elections following Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's decision to retain the Ganderbal seat.

Many voters called the repeat exercise“unfortunate,” saying they had waited for over a year without representation.

“It's unfortunate that we've been kept without a representative for so long. We voted with hope last year, and now we're back again to fix what politics left unfinished,” said Ali Muhammad, a voter from Budgam.

Another voter from Nasrullah Pora said voting twice in a year felt like“a punishment.”“We voted wholeheartedly last year, expecting our MLA to serve as Chief Minister. But when Omar Abdullah gave up this seat, all hopes were lost,” said Ashfaq Hussain.

The by-election saw 17 candidates in the fray for a seat that fell vacant after Omar Abdullah, who had won from both Ganderbal and Budgam in 2024, retained the former. He had then polled 35,804 votes against PDP's Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi, who secured 17,445 votes.

Family Loyality Shapes Voter Choices

Beyond political loyalties, Tuesday's polling also reflected Budgam's unique religious undercurrents. Many voters admitted their ballot was guided more by faith than party.

“We have spiritual affiliations with the candidate, so voting for him is an obligation,” said Adil Hussain, outside a polling station at Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Budgam.

This year's by-poll once again pitted two prominent religious figures against each other - NC's Aga Mehmood and PDP's Aga Muntazir Mehdi - both members of districts Aga clan which commands large followings in the region. Aga clan is ideologically aligned but politically divided between various parties.

“In Budgam, it's not NC versus PDP, it's Aga versus Aga - a contest of faith as much as politics,” said Imran Ahmad, another voter.

Despite the fatigue and biting cold, polling remained peaceful with a moderate turnout reported across the constituency. Many voters said they hoped this election would finally end Budgam's year-long wait for representation.

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