Yogesh/ Sajid Raina
Srinagar, Nov 10: Two politically significant assembly constituencies, Budgam in Central Kashmir and Nagrota in Jammu district are set to witness a high stake bye-election on Tuesday with over 2.2 lakh voters to cast their ballots for the second time in 13 months to decide the fate of 27 candidates in the fray.
In Nagrota, polling will take place across 150 booths, where 97,893 registered voters will cast their ballots between 7 AM and 6 PM.
The bye-poll follows the death of sitting BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana in October 2024. His daughter, Devyani Rana, who serves as the BJP’s J&K BJYM Vice-President, is contesting her maiden election to continue her father’s political legacy.
Devyani faces a triangular contest against Shamim Begum of the National Conference and Harsh Dev Singh, President of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP).
Other contestants from the constituency include Joginder Singh of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bodh Raj of the Apni Party, and several independents like Anil Sharma, a BJP rebel.
Nagrota, which includes parts of Jammu city and adjoining rural belts, has traditionally leaned towards the BJP, but this election has drawn unusual attention due to a mix of local and emotional factors.
Security agencies, under the supervision of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jammu Joginder Singh, have made watertight security arrangements at sensitive polling stations.
District Election Officer Rakesh Minhas on Monday said that Electronic Voting Machines and polling staff stand dispatched and all the arrangements have been put in place.
He said that each booth has been equipped with assured facilities like electricity, ramps and sanitation. Counting of the votes will be held on November 14.
In Budgam, the bye-poll has evolved into a major political event, widely seen as a referendum on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s leadership and the NC government’s performance since taking office last year.
The seat fell vacant after Omar Abdullah vacated it in 2024, choosing to retain Ganderbal.
Seventeen candidates are contesting from Budgam, which has 1,26,025 registered voters and 173 polling stations. The main contest is between NC’s Aga Syed Mehmood and PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi.
BJP’s Aga Syed Mohsin, AIP’s Nazir Ahmad Khan and independent candidate Muntazir Mohiuddin are also in the fray, making the election a multi-cornered battle.
Budgam has long been considered NC’s citadel, having elected the party’s candidates in nearly every election since 1962, except in 1972 when the Congress won.
Former MLA and now NC MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi had earlier represented the constituency three times before Omar Abdullah’s 2024 victory. However, Ruhullah’s public disagreement with the party leadership over the reservation policy and other governance issues led to him distancing himself from the campaign, a setback the NC is trying to offset with its full organizational machinery.
The ruling party deployed top leaders, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Singh and MLAs from across Jammu and Kashmir to campaign for Aga Mehmood.
Omar Abdullah personally led roadshows and gatherings over the past three days, urging voters to back his party’s candidate.
The opposition, led by the PDP, mounted a sharp attack accusing the government of failing to deliver on key promises such as job creation, 200 units of free electricity, and a fair reservation policy.
The ruling NC has countered these attacks by reviving the issue of Articles 370 and 35-A, with Omar accusing the PDP of enabling the abrogation through its past alliance with the BJP in 2014.
With an estimated 30–35% Shia population, Budgam’s voting pattern will likely be shaped by intra-community competition, as both major candidates belong to influential Aga families.
Ruhullah’s absence complicated the NC’s campaign strategy, but Omar Abdullah’s personal involvement may have helped the party to consolidate the support.
Election officials said all polling stations in Budgam are equipped with essential facilities, including power, ramps and drinking water, with CCTV and webcasting in place for monitoring. Polling will begin at 7 am and continue until 6 pm.
Analysts are of the opinion that the results in both Budgam and Nagrota will indicate where do the ruling NC government and the opposition BJP stand as on date.
