In a significant political shift, National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah has secured the Budgam seat with 36,010 votes, defeating People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi by a considerable margin of 18,485 votes. Abdullah's victory in Budgam comes alongside NC’s Nazir Ahmad Khan, who won the Gurez seat with 8,378 votes, narrowly defeating BJP's Faqeer Mohammad Khan by just 1,132 votes.
The BJP also achieved notable successes in the Jammu region, with Sham Lal Sharma winning the Jammu North seat with 47,219 votes, leaving NC's Ajay Kumar trailing by 27,363 votes. In Jammu West, BJP's Arvind Gupta emerged victorious with 41,963 votes, defeating Congress candidate Manmohan Singh by a margin of 22,127 votes. Additionally, BJP's Darshan Kumar won the Basholi seat with 31,874 votes, outpacing Congress' Lal Singh by 16,034 votes.
In the fiercely contested R S Pura—Jammu South seat, BJP candidate Narinder Singh Raina won with 43,317 votes, defeating two-time Congress MLA Raman Bhalla. Similarly, BJP's Gharu Ram secured the Suchetgarh seat with 39,302 votes, defeating Congress candidate Bhushan Lal.
Following these results, NC President Farooq Abdullah announced that Omar Abdullah will be the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. “People have given their mandate... they have proven that they don't accept the decision that was taken on August 5,” Abdullah stated, referring to the revocation of J&K’s special status in 2019.
BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra commented on the election outcomes, noting that while experts predicted a hung assembly in Jammu and Kashmir, the results indicate a clear majority. He emphasized the need to respect the people's verdict and highlighted the unexpected outcomes in both Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana.
As the final results are awaited, the NC’s victories in key constituencies position Omar Abdullah to lead the new government in Jammu and Kashmir.
