In Jammu and Kashmir, nearly 98,000 voters will determine the outcome of the by-election for the Nagrota Assembly constituency on November 11. Despite the involvement of ten candidates, the main competition appears to be focused on four key contenders, as campaigning wrapped up last evening. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is fielding Devyani Rana, daughter of the late Devender Singh Rana, who won this seat in the 2024 Assembly elections but tragically passed away shortly after taking office. Her chief opponent is Shamim Begum, a current member of the District Development Council (DDC) running as the National Conference nominee.
Harshdev Singh, a former minister and three-time MLA from Ramnagar, is also making his debut campaign in Nagrota. After securing the Ramnagar seat in three consecutive elections (1996, 2002, and 2008), he faced defeats in 2014 and 2024, losing in his previous constituencies. Anil Sharma, a former Sarpanch and a disillusioned BJP member, is contesting as an Independent after not receiving the party’s backing. Other notable candidates include Joginder Singh from the Aam Aadmi Party and Bodh Raj of the Apni Party, while the Congress party has opted not to field a candidate.
For the 97,893 eligible voters, election authorities have established 150 polling stations within the constituency. Historically, Nagrota has voted in favor of a BJP candidate three times and a National Conference candidate twice over the past five elections since 1996. This by-election was called due to the unexpected death of Devender Singh Rana, who had won with more than 30,000 votes, leaving the National Conference and Congress in second and third place, respectively.
Original Source: https://www.newsonair.gov.in/nagrota-assembly-by-election-in-jammu-and-kashmir-to-be-held-tomorrow/
Category: Elections
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Publish Date: 2025-11-10 08:28:00
