The recent Nagrota Assembly by-election witnessed an impressive voter turnout of 75.08 percent, according to reports from the Election Commission. Polling took place peacefully across all 150 designated booths on November 12, ensuring a successful democratic exercise.
This by-election holds significance as it sealed the fate of 10 candidates, including prominent figures like BJP’s Devyani Rana, NC’s Shamim Begum, JKNPP-I’s Harshdev Singh, and independent Anil Sharma. The counting of votes is scheduled for November 14.
Chief Electoral Officer Sanjeev Verma commended the successful execution of the by-poll, stating it was marked by “completely peaceful and smooth polling.” Verma toured numerous polling stations and noted that voters showed satisfaction with the provided facilities, which included wheelchairs, drinking water, and effective queue management.
While technical issues prompted the replacement of one or two Electronic Voting Machines, polling resumed without any disruption, maintaining the overall peace throughout the process.
The turnout of 75.08% in Nagrota is close to the 77.66% turnout recorded during the 2024 Assembly elections, indicating strong civic participation. In that election, BJP’s Devender Singh Rana won decisively with 48,113 votes against NC’s Joginder Singh, who garnered 17,641 votes.
Officials anticipate a similar number of votes cast for this by-election, estimating the revised electorate at around 98,000 voters in Nagrota.
Security measures were robust across Nagrota, with a heavy deployment of police and paramilitary personnel stationed at sensitive locations. Election Commission observers, including general, police, and expenditure monitors, conducted inspections at various booths to ensure smooth operations.
After polling concluded at 6 PM, the voting machines were securely moved to strong rooms under 24-hour surveillance, maintaining the integrity of the electoral process until the counting day.
For this by-election, presiding officers utilized a new ‘Presiding Officer App’ as part of the ECI’s Integrated ECTNet platform. This innovation aimed to streamline booth-wise data uploads, reducing reporting delays and minimizing human error.
The necessity for this by-election arose due to the untimely death of BJP stalwart Devender Singh Rana, who passed away shortly after successfully retaining his Assembly seat in 2024. The BJP nominated his daughter, Devyani Rana, an Economics graduate from the University of California, who campaigned advocating for “professional and inclusive development.”
Shamim Begum from the NC highlighted her grassroots connections and the organizational strength of her party as key elements of her candidacy. Meanwhile, former minister Harshdev Singh, competing in Nagrota for the first time, aimed to present himself as an alternative voice. Independent candidate Anil Sharma, a former Sarpanch, emphasized local support and welfare commitments.
Voters reported long lines at polling stations after 9 AM, aided by clear sunny weather that encouraged widespread participation. At the Kol Kandoli polling station, voters expressed their determination to continue the developmental pace in the Nagrota region.
The political landscape of Nagrota has seen a pattern of alternating victories between the BJP and NC in the last five elections since 1996. The BJP triumphed in 2002, 2008, and 2024, while the NC succeeded in 1996 and 2014.
Notably, the Congress party opted not to field a candidate in this election and remained absent from NC’s campaign, despite their alliance at the UT level.
This by-election, along with the Budgam constituency polls, serves to fill two vacant seats in the 90-member J&K Assembly, which currently holds 88 sitting MLAs. The vacancies arose due to Rana’s death and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s resignation from Budgam after retaining Ganderbal.
