Srinagar, Nov 14: Budgam just hit a reset.

The 2025 Budgam bypoll cracked old loyalties, shrank giants, and unleashed unexpected contenders.

The results on Friday delivered more than a changed MLA.

It rewired Kashmir politics, exposing a tectonic shift beneath the region’s political landscape.

The results show that this is the ruling National Conference (NC)’s steepest decline in the assembly constituency it held for decades.

In absolute terms, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah-led NC emerged the biggest vote-loser.

From the 2024 assembly election’s 36,010 votes, the party collapsed to 17,089 votes in the 2025 bye-poll, a loss of 18,912 votes.

This plunge indicates NC’s weakening hold over both the traditional supporters and floating voters, reflecting dissatisfaction or a shift toward e

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