Abdullah Reflects on Poll Trends, Recognizes Nitish Kumar's Strategy

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reflected on the Bihar Assembly election results and his own party's loss in the Budgam by-poll. Abdullah noted voter behavior often transcends issues and governance, highlighting Nitish Kumar's successful strategy over anti-incumbency and his welfare schemes targeting women.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reacted to the Bihar Assembly election results and his party's defeat in the Budgam by-poll on Friday, emphasizing how voters often prioritize factors beyond governance and local issues. "When I look at Bihar's condition, I feel less sad about my own," Abdullah remarked, acknowledging challenges in Budgam due to sections of the electorate not voting based on performance.

Addressing the Bihar result, Abdullah critiqued the Congress, suggesting they were overly optimistic about their prospects following the 'vote-chori yatra.' "The Congress expected better outcomes on more seats, but as the results showed, that was not the case," he commented.

Abdullah credited Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with successfully countering anti-incumbency by leveraging incumbency benefits. "Nitish Kumar diverted anti-incumbency and capitalized on being in power. It's remarkable to be elected Chief Minister for the 10th time," he noted. He also highlighted Kumar's significant reform efforts benefiting women, advising other governments to emulate such welfare approaches.

In a separate election highlight, Devyani Rana of the Bharatiya Janata Party secured the Nagrota seat with 42,350 votes, surpassing her nearest rival by 24,647 votes. Harsh Dev Singh of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party finished second with 17,703 votes, whereas Shamim Begum of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference accumulated 10,872 votes, trailing by a margin of 31,478.

The Nagrota bye-elections were triggered by the passing of BJP MLA Devender Rana. Meanwhile, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) triumphed in the Budgam Assembly by-election; their candidate Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi won by 4,478 votes after an exhaustive count over 17 rounds.

(With inputs from agencies.)