SUHAIL KHAN
Jammu, Nov 06: A scheduled election rally for National Conference (NC) candidate Shamim Begum in Nagrota was abruptly cut short when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was forced to leave the stage after the microphone failed during his speech.
The Chief Minister had been speaking for under five minutes when the audio equipment stopped functioning.
According to video footage accessed by Kashmir Convener, Chief Minister Abdullah departed the stage visibly angered by the interruption, an unusual occurrence that left the assembled crowd stunned.
In contrast to the on-ground situation, the Chief Minister later portrayed the rally in a positive light on his official X account. He wrote, “Addressed a massive gathering in Nagrota today… The energy and faith of the people reaffirm my belief that Nagrota stands firmly with us.”
The by-election for the Nagrota assembly seat was necessitated by the death of BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana in October 2024, while Budgam seat fell vacant after CM Omar Abdullah, having won both constituencies in the previous assembly elections, chose to retain Ganderbal, his family’s traditional stronghold.
Earlier this week, Chief Minister and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah expressed confidence in his party’s prospects. He stated that the NC’s decision to contest both the Budgam and Nagrota by-elections, scheduled for November 11, reflects their expectation of victory.
CM Omar stated that the Budgam seat was previously held by the NC, while the party lost the Nagrota seat in the last election. “We are determined to reclaim Nagrota this time,” he said.
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