Omar Govt's 1-Year Report Card: Budgam Voters Question Unfulfilled Promises

This special report focuses on the high-stakes assembly by-poll in Budgam, a critical test for Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's government one year after taking office. One local shopkeeper expressed the sentiment on the ground, stating, 'We got a lot of promises in the last election. But nothing happened on the ground level.' The contest is complicated by the National Conference's own MP from Srinagar, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, who has refused to campaign for his party's candidate, citing unfulfilled promises. With key issues like the restoration of statehood, job creation, and free electricity hanging in the balance, this election is being viewed as a referendum on the National Conference's performance. The voters' verdict in this politically significant constituency will send a strong message about the public mood in Jammu and Kashmir.