Srinagar/Jammu, Nov 14 — In a significant political development, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) clinched the Budgam Assembly seat from the ruling National Conference (NC), while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comfortably retained the Nagrota Assembly seat as results of the Jammu and Kashmir bypolls were declared on Friday.
In Budgam, PDP candidate Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi emerged victorious after defeating NC’s Aga Syed Mehmood by a margin of over 4,100 votes in a closely contested battle. The seat had fallen vacant after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah resigned, having won from both Ganderbal and Budgam in the 2024 Assembly elections and opting to retain Ganderbal.
Political observers noted that internal discord within the NC played a major role in the party’s defeat. NC Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi—who hails from Budgam—had distanced himself from the party’s campaign due to differences with the leadership. His absence is believed to have cost the NC crucial support. In an interesting twist, jubilant PDP supporters were seen raising slogans praising Ruhullah Mehdi after their candidate’s victory, highlighting his influence in the region.
Meanwhile, in Nagrota, BJP’s Devyani Rana secured a convincing win over Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh, defeating him by more than 21,000 votes. NC’s Shamim Begum finished a distant third with just over 10,000 votes. Celebrations erupted at the BJP headquarters in Jammu soon after the results were announced.
Devyani Rana is the daughter of late Devender Singh Rana, who had won the Nagrota seat in the 2024 Assembly polls. His untimely demise in October last year necessitated the by-election.
With this victory, the BJP maintains its strength at 29 seats in the 90-member J&K Assembly, while the NC holds 41 seats. The PDP, with its latest win, has raised its tally to four, signaling a modest but meaningful revival for the party.
