Jammu: BJP candidate Devyani Rana has won the Nagrota Assembly by-election with a strong mandate, securing 42,183 votes after the completion of all 11 rounds of counting.
She defeated her nearest rival, Harsh Dev Singh of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (India), by a margin of 24,522 votes, ensuring the BJP retains the seat vacated after the passing of her father, veteran leader Devinder Singh Rana, in October last year.
The bypoll, held on November 11, saw a high voter turnout of 75.08%, slightly lower than the 77.66% recorded in the 2024 Assembly elections.
Nagrota, a BJP bastion since 2014 but historically contested between the BJP and NC, witnessed Devyani benefit from a sympathy wave and her father’s strong legacy in the constituency.
Harsh Dev Singh, a three-time MLA, finished second with 17,661 votes.
NC’s Shamim Begum, a sitting DDC member, came in third, with her campaign affected by Congress’s decision not to field a candidate.
BJP rebel Balwan Singh, chairman of the All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference, managed just 837 votes, showing minimal support for intra-party dissent in this crucial by-election.
