The results of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly bypolls were declared on Friday, with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) winning the Budgam seat and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retaining Nagrota.
In Budgam, PDP candidate Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi defeated his closest rival, Aga Syed Mehmood of the National Conference (NC), securing a lead of over 4,186 votes.
The constituency, one of the most competitive in the bypolls, saw 17 candidates contesting, including representatives from the Apni Party and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP).
PDP candidate Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi told KNS that voters have opted for accountability and change in the constituency. “The people have voted for change and accountability,” he said, adding that Budgam district, which he said had been ignored over the past year, will now be represented effectively in the Assembly.
The PDP’s campaign gained momentum amid internal divisions within the NC.
Senior Shia leader and former three-time MLA and now MP Srinagar Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi had publicly refused to campaign for the NC candidate, citing delays in implementing the Reservation Sub-Committee report, issues with smart electricity meters, and perceived backtracking on statehood and Article 370.
Ruhullah requested that his name or image not be used in the NC campaign. Party workers celebrated the win across Budgam soon after results were announced.
In Nagrota, BJP candidate Devyani Rana defeated Harsh Dev Singh of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) by a margin of over 21,000 votes.
The NC candidate, Shamim Begum, finished third with just over 10,000 votes. Devyani Rana, the daughter of late MLA Devender Singh Rana, entered politics following her father’s death on October 31, 2024. Her victory marks the BJP’s continued presence in the Jammu region.
The Budgam bypoll was necessitated by the resignation of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who had won both Ganderbal and Budgam seats in the 2024 Assembly elections and chose to represent Ganderbal.
The Nagrota bypoll followed the death of Devender Singh Rana.(KNS).
