The Nagrota Assembly constituency witnessed a remarkable 75.08 percent voter turnout in today’s by-election, with polling conducted peacefully across all 150 booths, as reported by the Election Commission of India.
Ten candidates contested in the election, including BJP’s Devyani Rana, NC’s Shamim Begum, JKNPP-I’s Harshdev Singh, and Independent Anil Sharma. The counting of votes is set for November 14.
Chief Electoral Officer Sanjeev Verma described the by-poll as featuring “completely peaceful and smooth polling.” Verma, who visited various polling stations, noted high satisfaction among voters regarding facilities like wheelchairs, drinking water, and queue management.
Officials confirmed the replacement of one or two EVMs due to technical issues, but resumed polling immediately without disrupting the process.
This turnout approaches the figure recorded during the 2024 Assembly election, where Nagrota achieved a turnout of 77.66%, highlighting the importance of this by-election.
Last year, BJP’s Devender Singh Rana received 48,113 votes, while NC’s Joginder Singh followed with 17,641 votes, and Congress candidate Balbir Singh garnered only 5,979 votes. A total of 74,083 votes were cast during the 2024 elections.
Officials noted that the number of votes cast today aligns with last year’s turnout, with the revised electorate increasing slightly to approximately 98,000 voters.
Security measures were substantial, with a heavy presence of paramilitary and police personnel positioned at sensitive locations. Election Commission Observers, including general, police, and expenditure observers, monitored multiple booths to ensure a smooth process.
After polling concluded at 6 pm, the EVMs were securely moved to strong rooms, where they will remain under constant surveillance until the counting day.
This by-election also marked the first time that presiding officers uploaded booth-wise turnout data using the ‘Presiding Officer App’, a feature within the ECI’s Integrated ECTNet platform. This technological advancement greatly reduced delays and minimized human error.
The necessity for this by-election emerged following the untimely death of BJP stalwart Devender Singh Rana, who passed away shortly after winning the Assembly seat in the previous election.
Continuing her father’s legacy, the BJP nominated his daughter Devyani Rana, an Economics graduate from the University of California. She campaigned with a focus on “professional and inclusive development.”
NC’s Shamim Begum, a current DDC member, relied heavily on her grassroots connections and party organizational strength during the campaign.
Former minister Harshdev Singh, competing in Nagrota for the first time, presented himself as an “alternative voice.” Meanwhile, Independent candidate Anil Sharma, a former Sarpanch, based his campaign on securing local support and promising welfare measures.
Lines formed at polling booths after 9 am, as the sunny weather encouraged voter turnout. Citizens at the Kol Kandoli polling station expressed their eagerness to vote for sustained development in the Nagrota region.
Historically, the Nagrota constituency has alternated between the BJP and NC in the last five elections since 1996. The BJP triumphed in 2002, 2008, and 2024, while the NC won in 1996 and 2014.
This time, the Congress party did not field a candidate and distanced itself from NC’s campaign, despite being alliance partners at the Union Territory level.
The Nagrota and Budgam by-polls will fill two gaps in the 90-member J&K Assembly, which currently has 88 active MLAs. The vacancies originated from Devender Singh Rana’s death and the resignation of former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who vacated Budgam after winning Ganderbal.
