Sajid Raina
Srinagar, Nov 14: The National Conference suffered a historic defeat in its Budgam stronghold on Friday, ending a 47-year winning streak, while the Bharatiya Janata Party comfortably retained the Nagrota seat in Jammu.
In Budgam, the People’s Democratic Party candidate Agha Syed Muntazir secured 21,576 votes, defeating NC’s Agha Syed Mehmood who polled 17,098 votes, a margin of 4,478 votes that marks the first time the party has lost this Shia-majority constituency since 1977. The victory raises PDP’s strength in the J&K Assembly to four seats.
According to details available, independent candidate Jibran Dar secured 7,152 votes, placing him third in the Budgam by-poll. Another independent, Nazir Ahmad Khan, finished with 3,089 votes, while yet another independent, Muntazir Mohi‑ud‑Din, obtained 3,030 votes.
The “None of the Above” (NOTA) option in the Budgam contest recorded 544 votes, a measurable but minor protest vote in what had traditionally been a one-party seat.
Meanwhile, in Nagrota, BJP candidate Devyani Rana won by a massive margin of 24,647 votes, polling 42,350 votes against her nearest rival Harsh Dev Singh of Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party who secured 17,703 votes. National Conference candidate Shamim Begum finished third with 10,872 votes.
The Budgam constituency had been a reliable NC bastion since 1977, when Ghulam Hussain Geelani began the party’s domination. The only exception was in 1972 when the NC boycotted polls across J&K.
The bypoll was necessitated after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah vacated the seat following his parallel victory from Ganderbal in last year’s assembly polls. Before Abdullah, the seat had been represented for three consecutive terms by Srinagar MP Agha Ruhullah Mehdi from 2002 to 2014.
In the final 72 hours of campaigning, CM Omar deployed the full strength of the government and party machinery, with cabinet ministers, MLAs and senior leaders concentrating their efforts across Budgam. However, the late push failed to counter the Ruhullah factor.
The PDP, sensing an opportunity, mounted a well-organised campaign. Party president Mehbooba Mufti led from the front, supported by MLAs Waheed Para, Mohammad Fayaz and Mohammad Rafiq Naik. Their ground mobilisation, combined with Muntazir’s family influence as the son of prominent cleric and former separatist Agha Syed Hassan, helped overturn NC’s long-standing advantage.
Muntazir, a law graduate from Amity University, New Delhi, had contested the 2023-24 assembly polls as well, losing to CM Omar by over 18,000 votes. This time, the political calculus worked in his favor.
In Nagrota, the BJP’s victory was comprehensive. Devyani Rana, daughter of late BJP leader Devinder Singh Rana, secured a commanding win in the bypoll triggered by her father’s demise in October last year.
The voter turnout stood at an impressive 75.08%, slightly lower than the 77.66% recorded in the 2024 Assembly elections. The Congress opted not to field a candidate, while a BJP rebel, Anil Sharma, managed only 842 votes.
Other contenders included Bodh Raj (Apni Party) with 392 votes, Joginder Singh (AAP) with 359 votes, and independents Gulzar Hussain (331 votes) and Shah Mohammad (288 votes). A total of 349 votes were cast for NOTA.
Interacting with the media after her victory, Devyani Rana said that the victory belongs to her father’s legacy. “I am humbled by the faith the people have shown in the BJP and in our family’s commitment to Nagrota. I pledge to work tirelessly to fulfill their aspirations and honor my father’s legacy.”
Meanwhile, PM Modi hailed the twin BJP victories in Nagrota and Odisha’s Nuapada. “I thank the people of Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir as well as Nuapada in Odisha for blessing the BJP with spectacular victories in the by-polls. Congratulations to the newly elected MLAs Devyani Rana Ji and Jay Dholakia Ji. Wishing them the very best in serving the people.”
