DPAP will not fight upcoming bypolls in J-K's Budgam, Nagrota Assembly seats: Ghulam Nabi Azad
Jammu (PTI): Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) will not contest the upcoming bypolls in Budgam and Nagrota Assembly seats, its chairman and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Saturday.
He said the decision not to fight the bypolls was taken after thorough consultations and a ground-level assessment, which indicated limited organisational strength in these segments.
“We do not believe in symbolic contests or vote division. Where our support base is not sufficiently strong, we would rather consolidate efforts in other constituencies and focus on the broader mission of restoring democratic dignity and development in Jammu and Kashmir,” Azad said.
The bypolls to Budgam and Nagrota constituencies will be held on November 11, while the counting of votes will be undertaken on November 14.
The Budgam seat fell vacant immediately after the 2024 Assembly elections when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chose to retain the Ganderbal constituency. The seat has been vacant since October 21, 2024.
Nagrota, on the other hand, fell vacant on October 31, 2024, after the death of BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana.
Reiterating his long-standing demand, the DPAP chairman once again called for the immediate restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
“Effective governance requires close coordination between the lieutenant governor and the chief minister, so that citizens’ grievances are addressed promptly and public welfare schemes reach every corner of the region,” he said.
Highlighting the plight of those affected by recent floods, Azad urged the Centre to announce a comprehensive financial relief package for the victims. He stressed that rebuilding lives and infrastructure must remain the top priority, beyond political or bureaucratic considerations.
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AAP activists detained during Mumbai protest against Raghav Chadha
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Mumbai (PTI): Police on Sunday detained some Aam Aadmi Party activists in Mumbai after they staged a demonstration against Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha, who has crossed over to the BJP, in Khar area.
Aam Aadmi Party's Mumbai unit president Preeti Sharma Menon claimed the police prevented AAP workers from protesting peacefully against "traitor" Chadha and detained local leader Ruben Mascharanhas.
A Khar Police official confirmed that Mascharanhas and some other activists have been taken to the police station, without elaborating.
"@CPMumbaiPolice @mumbaipolice has no other work but to guard Raghav Chaddha’s Mumbai residence. @aapmumbai volunteers were prevented from protesting peacefully against the GADDAR. Ruben has been detained at the Khar Police Station. But BJP is allowed to block roads at their whim," Menon stated.
The AAP's Mumbai unit had planned a protest in the Khar area against Chadha and six other Rajya Sabha MPs of the party who recently joined the BJP.
"Without any detention order or any written communication, I have been taken to the Khar Police Station. Why is @MumbaiPolice so scared of @AAPMumbai's peaceful protest against 'Gaddar' Raghav Chaddha and Sandeep Pathak? We are @ArvindKejriwal's soldiers, we are not going to be cowed down," Mascharanhas said in another post.
The AAP suffered a jolt on Friday when seven of its Rajya Sabha members, including Chadha, Ashok Mittal and Sandeep Pathak, quit the party, with Chadha saying all of them have merged with the BJP, asserting that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party had strayed from its principles, values and core morals.
VIDEO | Mumbai: AAP workers protest outside Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha’s residence.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 26, 2026
On Friday, the AAP suffered a jolt when seven of its Rajya Sabha MPs Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikram Sahni and Swati Maliwal quit and merged… pic.twitter.com/GWKCSvDrOJ
