The Nagrota Assembly constituency in Jammu and Kashmir recorded an impressive 75.08 percent voter turnout during the recent by-election held on November 12, 2023. Polling took place across 150 stations and proceeded smoothly, as confirmed by the Election Commission.
Ten candidates, including BJP’s Devyani Rana, NC’s Shamim Begum, and JKNPP-I’s Harshdev Singh, are now awaiting the results, which will be counted on November 14.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sanjeev Verma stated that polling remained entirely peaceful and smooth. Verma visited several polling booths and reported that voters expressed satisfaction with the facilities provided, including wheelchairs, drinking water, and queue management.
Officials confirmed a few Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were replaced due to technical issues; however, they resumed polling immediately without any disruption.
The turnout in this by-election was close to the figures from the 2024 Assembly elections, which recorded a turnout of 77.66%. Last year, Devender Singh Rana of the BJP won with 48,113 votes, while the NC’s Joginder Singh secured 17,641 votes. The Congress candidate managed only 5,979 votes, indicating a significantly lopsided contest. The number of votes cast during this by-election is expected to be similarly robust, with the electorate slightly elevated to around 98,000 voters.
Security arrangements were notably stringent, involving heavy deployment of police and paramilitary personnel at sensitive polling locations. Observers from the Election Commission, including General, Police, and Expenditure observers, assessed multiple booths throughout the day. Senior officials also monitored special polling stations.
Once polling concluded at 6 PM, the EVMs were securely transported to strong rooms, where they will remain under constant surveillance until the counting day.
For the first time, technology played a significant role in the polling process. Presiding officers uploaded booth-wise turnout data using the ‘Presiding Officer App’ integrated with the ECI’s ECTNet platform, minimizing delays and reducing reporting errors.
The by-election was necessitated by the untimely death of BJP leader Devender Singh Rana, who passed away shortly after winning in 2024. His daughter, Devyani Rana, an Economics graduate from the University of California, ran her campaign focused on ‘professional and inclusive development.’
Shamim Begum, representing the NC, emphasised her grassroots connections and the strength of her party organization. Harshdev Singh, previously a minister, contested in Nagrota for the first time, positioning himself as an ‘alternative voice.’ Independent candidate Anil Sharma, a former Sarpanch, relied on local support.
Voters began queuing at polling booths after 9 AM, drawn out by favourable sunny weather. Many expressed their motivations for voting, with residents at Kol Kandoli polling station saying they sought to maintain the pace of development in Nagrota.
Politically, Nagrota has alternated between the BJP and NC in the last five elections since 1996. The BJP triumphed in 2002, 2008, and 2024, while the NC won in 1996 and 2014. Notably, the Congress did not put forward a candidate this time and abstained from NC’s campaign, despite being alliance partners at the UT level.
These by-elections are crucial as they aim to fill two vacancies in the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, which currently has 88 sitting MLAs. The vacancies arose not just from Devender Singh Rana’s death but also from resigned former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who vacated Budgam after retaining Ganderbal.
