Assembly Bypolls Spark Heated Exchange Between NC And BJP In Jammu And Kashmir
NC and BJP intensify rivalry ahead of Jammu and Kashmir bypolls, trading accusations on governance, militancy, and political motives before November 11 elections.
Published : October 9, 2025 at 5:44 PM IST
Srinagar: Ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections and Legislative Assembly bypolls, political buzz is returning to Jammu and Kashmir with the ruling National Conference (NC) and Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) entering into a mudslinging campaign to berate each other.
Both parties have much at stake in the November 11 bypolls, as the two seats are currently held by NC and BJP legislators. The Budgam seat is significant for the NC because Chief Minister Omar Abdullah won from both Budgam and Ganderbal. However, he retained his family’s stronghold in Ganderbal and vacated Budgam.
Leader of Opposition and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma has blamed the National Conference (NC) and Congress for the rise in militancy, questioning whether the demand for statehood was intended to harm innocent Kashmiri civilians.
He said that militancy began during the regimes of these parties, contrasting that with the BJP’s governance, which he claimed has restored peace and stability with far fewer law and order disturbances.
However, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary responded to the BJP leader, saying that Sharma himself would also want statehood if he were to undergo a narco-test.
He said, “You should ask the Leader of the Opposition, or rather the ‘lollipop leader.’ He speaks every day and blames us. The Jammu province, which gave BJP 28 seats, was devastated by floods. Houses, crops, and roads were damaged, and people lost their savings and wedding jewelry. Have you (BJP) provided any compensation? They don’t dare to meet the people and only address the media.”
He urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to clear the Transaction of Business Rules, stating that the file has been pending approval since it was cleared by the cabinet this year.
The rules would ensure a clear demarcation of powers between the elected government and the Lieutenant Governor in the Union Territory, where law and order, as well as the transfer of IAS and IPS officers, fall under the jurisdiction of the LG.
However, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has cited the Lieutenant Governor as a roadblock to smooth governance.
BJP National General Secretary and J&K in-charge Tarun Chugh blamed Abdullah for failing to fulfill the promises made to the people in the legislative assembly during the past year since the election.
He said that the NC is indulging in "political tourism" instead of focusing on governance issues, adding that they show little concern for the tourism sector, which has been struggling since the Pahalgam terror attack.
Amid this, jailed Member of Parliament Abdul Rashid Sheikh, also known as 'Engineer' Rashid, and his Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) view the NC-BJP exchange of words before the Budgam bypolls as a pre-planned act to garner public sympathy.
AIP Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi said, "This is their old script: Act like victims, partner like opportunists. The reality is that NC and BJP are political cousins, with one ruling from Delhi and the other influencing from Srinagar."
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