SRINAGAR/JAMMU, November 14, 2025 — The results of the crucial Assembly by-elections for the Nagrota and Budgam constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir delivered a mixed verdict today, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retaining its seat in the Jammu region and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scoring a significant upset against the ruling National Conference (NC) in the Kashmir Valley.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The by-elections, held on November 11, were widely viewed as a crucial test of popularity for the major parties, just one year after the 2024 Assembly elections established the current government.
🔥 BJP’s Devyani Rana Triumphs in Nagrota
In the Nagrota Assembly constituency, the BJP’s candidate, Devyani Rana, secured a massive victory, retaining the seat that fell vacant after the death of her father and sitting BJP MLA, Devender Singh Rana.
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Winner: Devyani Rana (BJP)
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Winning Margin: 24,522 votes (Reported lead over closest rival).
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Vote Share: Rana polled 42,143 votes in the final count.
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Key Rivals: The closest competition came from Harsh Dev Singh of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (India), followed by the ruling NC candidate, Shamim Begum, who finished a distant third.
Political observers attributed Devyani Rana’s success to a combination of the BJP’s core support base in the region and a strong sympathy wave following her father’s death. The result reinforces the BJP’s dominance in the Nagrota segment of the Jammu division.
🏔️ PDP Snaps NC’s Decades-Long Hold on Budgam
The biggest surprise came from the Budgam constituency, a traditional stronghold of the National Conference (NC) since 1957. The seat was vacated by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who chose to retain his family bastion of Ganderbal after winning both seats in 2024.
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Winner: Aga Syed Muntazir (PDP)
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Winning Margin: 4,478 votes (over NC rival).
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Vote Count: Muntazir Mehdi secured 21,576 votes.
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Key Rival: Aga Syed Mehmood of the ruling National Conference (NC).
The win marks the first-ever electoral defeat for the National Conference in the Budgam Assembly segment, signaling a major victory for the opposition PDP. The result is being interpreted by the PDP as a direct message of public dissatisfaction with the Omar Abdullah-led government’s performance in its first year. The loss is particularly significant for the NC as it creates internal strains, especially with its alliance partner, the Congress, which finished fourth in the constituency.
📊 Political Ramifications: A Litmus Test
These by-poll results serve as a critical political barometer for the Union Territory:
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BJP’s Strength: The Nagrota win validates the BJP’s organizational strength and its continued hold on the Hindu-majority segments of the Jammu region.
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NC Under Pressure: The defeat in Budgam, considered an NC fortress, puts the ruling party under immense pressure. It highlights a possible erosion of the party’s base in central Kashmir and has provided fodder to the opposition, including the PDP, which called the victory a “message” to the current government.
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Alliance Dynamics: The results are expected to exacerbate the already strained relationship between the ruling NC and its supporting partner, the Congress, which has questioned the NC’s strategies in the by-polls.
The political spotlight now turns to the respective party headquarters as they analyze the mandate and recalibrate their strategies ahead of future elections.
