BJP retains Nagrota as Devyani Rani wins by 24,522 votes

Jammu : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Devyani Rana clinched the Nagrota Assembly constituency by-election, securing 42,183 votes in the decisive 11th and final round of counting.

The win, with a commanding margin 24,522 votes, ensured the BJP retains the seat in Jammu district, which fell vacant following the demise of Devyani’s father and veteran politician Devinder Singh Rana, in October last year.

The bypoll, per news agency, was held on November 11 amid heightened security and robust voter enthusiasm, recording an impressive 75.08% turnout – marginally lower than the 77.66% in the 2024 Assembly elections.

Nagrota, a BJP stronghold since 2014 that has historically oscillated between the saffron party and the National Conference, saw Devyani Rana capitalise on a sympathy wave and her father’s unassailable goodwill among voters.

Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (India) president and former minister Harsh Dev Singh, a seasoned three-time MLA, finished a distant second with 17,661 votes, mounting a spirited but ultimately unsuccessful challenge in this triangular contest.

NC candidate, Shamim Begum, a a sitting District Development Council member trailed in third place. Her campaign was hampered by the opposition’s internal dynamics, including Congress’s decision to abstain from fielding its own contender.

In a further fragmentation of votes, BJP rebel and chairman of the All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference, Balwan Singh, garnered a mere 837 votes, highlighting the limited appeal of intra-party dissent in this high-stakes poll—(KNO)