Budgam By-election 2025: JKNC vs PDP — Agha Vs Agha in Kashmir’s Political Heartland

Budgam Assembly By-election 2025: A Battle of Legacies and Political Resurgence

Budgam Assembly By-election 2025: A Battle of Legacies and Political Resurgence By: Javid Amin | 19 Oct 2025 Why Budgam Matters in 2025 The upcoming Budgam Assembly by-election is not just another contest in the political calendar of Jammu & Kashmir—it is a symbolic clash between legacy and resurgence, between an established bastion of power and an aspirational comeback. Budgam, located in the heart of central Kashmir, has long been a political fortress of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC). The by-election was necessitated after Omar Abdullah vacated the…

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Omar Abdullah Vows to Revoke Public Safety Act After J&K Statehood Restoration

Omar Abdullah Vows to Scrap PSA After J&K Statehood Restoration

Omar Abdullah Vows to Scrap PSA After J&K Statehood Restoration By: Javid Amin | 18 October 2025 A Defining Promise for Post-UT J&K In a politically charged statement, Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, has vowed to revoke the Public Safety Act (PSA) immediately after the restoration of statehood. The announcement, made during a press conference in Srinagar on October 18, 2025, has sent ripples across political and civil society circles. It is one of the most direct commitments by any mainstream leader in J&K in recent years…

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Electrifying U-Turn: Omar Abdullah’s Prepaid Meter Push Sparks Public Outrage

Electrifying U-Turn: Omar Abdullah’s Prepaid Meter Push Sparks Public Outrage

Where Has the Free Electricity Promise Gone? By: Javid Amin | 17 October 2025 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s government is under fire after announcing a full-scale rollout of prepaid smart electricity meters across Jammu & Kashmir — a move sharply contrasting with his 2024 election promise of providing 200 units of free electricity per month to poor households. The announcement has unleashed a wave of anger and disillusionment, with opposition parties branding it a “betrayal of the poor” and civil society groups accusing the administration of “digitalizing hardship under the…

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Omar Abdullah Urges PM Modi: ‘Restore Statehood to Solve J&K’s Challenges’

Omar Abdullah Urges PM Modi: 'Restore Statehood to Solve J&K’s Challenges'

On the first anniversary of the NC-led government, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah made a direct and passionate appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. By: Javid Amin | 16 October 2025 A Direct Appeal to Delhi On the first anniversary of his government, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah made a pointed and emotional appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Union Government to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking at a town hall event in Srinagar, Omar declared: “We…

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Darbar Move Returns: Omar Abdullah Revives 147-Year-Old Tradition in Jammu and Kashmir

Darbar Move Returns: Omar Abdullah Revives 147-Year-Old Tradition in Jammu and Kashmir

A 19th-Century Tradition Reborn — A Step Toward Restoring Identity and Balance By: Javid Amin | 16 October 2025 In a landmark decision that blends history, symbolism, and politics, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has officially announced the revival of the Darbar Move, the 147-year-old biannual tradition of shifting the seat of government between Jammu and Srinagar. The decision, approved by the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet in September 2025 and signed off by the Lieutenant Governor, restores one of the most distinctive administrative customs in India — one that was discontinued…

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Omar Abdullah at One Year: Promise, Patience and the Politics of Expectation

Omar Abdullah at One Year: Promise, Patience and the Politics of Expectation

Omar Abdullah Completes One Year — Statehood, Jobs and the Credibility Test | Jammu & Kashmir Politics 2025 By: Javid Amin | 15 October 2025 One year after Omar Abdullah’s National Conference (NC) returned to power on a program promising “Dignity, Identity and Development”, the administration’s scoreboard is thin: symbolic wins exist, structural reforms do not. Statehood restoration and constitutional remedies remain unrealized; major employment and police-reform promises are still pending. At the same time the political environment shows fleeting openings — alliance tensions with Congress over Rajya Sabha seat-sharing,…

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Omar Abdullah Alleges BJP Needs Horse-Trading to Win Rajya Sabha Seats in J&K

Omar Abdullah Alleges BJP Needs Horse-Trading to Win Rajya Sabha Seats in J&K

Omar Abdullah Takes Direct Aim at BJP Over Rajya Sabha Polls By: Javid Amin | 13 October 2025 The political temperature in Jammu and Kashmir is rising ahead of the October 24 Rajya Sabha elections. In a strongly worded statement, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is incapable of winning a single seat in the upcoming polls without indulging in “horse-trading, money power, and muscle power.” Speaking to reporters in Srinagar on October 13, 2025, Omar declared: “BJP cannot win three Rajya Sabha seats without…

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Ruhullah Mehdi Slams NC Govt for ‘Political Inaction’ as One-Year Mark Nears

Ruhullah Mehdi Slams NC Govt for ‘Political Inaction’ as One-Year Mark Nears

Srinagar MP’s Strong Rebuke Signals Rising Dissent Within Party Ranks By: Javid Amin | 12 October 2025 In a rare public criticism from within the party, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, senior leader and Member of Parliament from Srinagar, has accused the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (NC)-led government of failing to deliver on key political promises during its first year in power. His remarks have triggered ripples across Jammu & Kashmir’s political landscape, raising questions about the direction and priorities of the Omar Abdullah administration. Speaking to reporters in Srinagar…

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Budgam Bypoll 2025: A Litmus Test for Omar Abdullah’s First Year in Power

Budgam Bypoll 2025: A Litmus Test for Omar Abdullah’s First Year in Power

A Battle Beyond the Ballot Box By: Javid Amin | 11 October 2025 The upcoming Budgam Assembly bypoll on November 11, 2025, is no ordinary electoral exercise. It carries the weight of public judgment on one year of governance under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his party. Vacated by Omar himself after retaining the Ganderbal seat, Budgam has now become the symbolic battleground for assessing the government’s political credibility, its governance model, and its connection with the people. Political observers are calling this by-election a referendum—a midterm evaluation of sorts.…

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Mehbooba Mufti: PDP Offers Full Support to NC Government to Protect J&K’s Land, Jobs, and Resources

Mehbooba Mufti: PDP Offers Full Support to NC Government to Protect J&K’s Land, Jobs, and Resources

A New Political Equation: PDP Extends Support to NC Government By: Javid Amin | 10 October 2025 In what could mark the beginning of a new phase in Jammu and Kashmir’s evolving political landscape, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has publicly declared her party’s readiness to support the National Conference (NC)-led government in safeguarding the region’s land, jobs, and natural resources.Her remarks, delivered at a press conference in Srinagar, come at a time when the region continues to grapple with uncertainty over restoration of full statehood and autonomy…

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