Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah hit the campaign trail in Budgam today, the Assembly seat he had vacated last year. The by-election is seen as the first test of Abdullah's popularity amid Opposition allegations of poor governance during his last year in office.
As in the previous Assembly elections, the National Conference (NC) leader is once again using his anti-BJP stance to seek votes, blaming the party for robbing Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and statehood.
But his real target remains the People's Democratic Party (PDP) - the NC's main rival in the Valley. The Budgam by-election is widely viewed as a contest between the NC and the PDP, even though several other candidates, including from the BJP, are also in the fray.
Abdullah described the PDP as "dishonest and betrayers of public trust," accusing them of winning the 2014 elections in the name of stopping the BJP, only to ally with them afterwards.
"After elections, we have kept the promise and ensured that the BJP is never allowed to be part of the government in Jammu and Kashmir. Unlike those who got your votes in 2014 in the name of fighting the BJP. They (PDP) joined them soon after elections and betrayed your trust," Abdullah said while addressing a gathering in Budgam.
He also linked the abrogation of Article 370 to the PDP-BJP alliance in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Chief Minister said he chose imaan (integrity) after the elections by refusing to ally with the BJP, and termed the PDP be-imaan (dishonest) for joining the BJP after seeking votes to oppose them.
The Chief Minister, who often claims to be powerless under the Union Territory's dual-control governance structure, said he preferred a temporary political setback to compromising his principles by joining hands with the BJP.
"I know that if I had joined hands with the BJP, statehood would have been restored long ago. But I have chosen imaan. Let there be a delay in the restoration of statehood, but I will never achieve it by allying with those who snatched it from us," Abdullah said.
However, more than the PDP and the BJP, Abdullah's biggest challenge seems to come from within his own party. Aga Ruhullah, a National Conference MP and the party's prominent face in Budgam for the past two decades, has openly revolted against him.
The rift between the two has made the Budgam by-election a tricky affair for the NC. Last year, Abdullah had won the Budgam seat with a margin of 18,000 votes.
Since he had contested from two constituencies, he eventually vacated Budgam and retained the Ganderbal seat.
With open opposition from a senior party leader, winning Budgam has become not just a matter of retaining a seat, but also a personal prestige battle and a test of Abdullah's control over the NC.
Aga Ruhullah has maintained that his criticism is not anti-party, insisting that he is merely upholding the NC's ideology and the promises made in its election manifesto.
Recently, the estranged MP even asked Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to "resign and apologise to the people for failing to deliver on the promises made in the manifesto."
Abdullah is now attempting to turn the contest into a straight NC versus BJP battle - portraying those who oppose him as part of a larger plot.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
