J-K bypoll: BJP retains Nagrota seat as Devyani Rana wins by margin of 24,647 votes

Jammu, Nov 14 (PTI) The BJP retained the Nagrota assembly constituency in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday with Devyani Rana defeating her nearest rival by a margin of 24,647 votes, carrying forward the legacy of her late father Devender Singh Rana.

Devyani (30), who had been leading from the beginning of the counting of votes, secured 42,350 votes, defeating Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) candidate Harsh Dev Singh, who polled 17,703 votes.

The ruling National Conference's Shamim Begum finished third with 10,872 votes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the people of Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir for blessing the BJP with a spectacular victory in the bypoll.

Rana received a rousing reception from BJP workers at the counting centre complex following her win. She thanked Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda and other party leaders for reposing faith in her.

"My victory goes to all the voters who cast their votes in my favour and to the party leadership for the confidence they have shown in me. It is a tribute to my father and a blessing for me," she told reporters here.

"We are deeply grateful for the warm welcome we received, just as every household and family in Nagrota had blessed Rana Sahab in 2024. Today, people have extended their blessings to us with the same love and support. We dedicate this victory to Rana Sahab as a mark of respect. We wish to serve the people just as he did." An economics graduate from the University of California, Devyani Rana manages her family's media and automobile businesses. She said that she intends to bring a "fresh, professional approach" to politics while upholding the BJP's principles of service and integrity.

"I believe in a 360-degree view of development -- inclusive, participatory and empowering. My focus will be on strengthening villages, panchayats and the entire constituency to ensure growth that benefits every section of society," she said.

After receiving her certificate of victory, Devyani visited the Bawa Wali Mata temple in Bahu Fort along with BJP leaders, including the party's Jammu and Kashmir unit president Sat Sharma.

She said, "I am fortunate that the manner in which Nagrota blessed Rana Sahab, they did their duty of being a family today too and blessed me. I will be thankful to them." The counting of votes was held at the Government Polytechnic College in Gandhi Nagar. The Nagrota bypoll, held on November 11, witnessed a voter turnout of more than 75 per cent.

Devyani Rana is the daughter of former Nagrota MLA Devender Singh Rana, whose death necessitated the bypoll. He was elected from the constituency in the 2024 assembly elections but died last year.

Rana was pitted against National Conference (NC) nominee and sitting District Development Council member Shamim Begum and JKNPP president Harsh Dev Singh, a former state education minister and three-time MLA from Ramnagar.

Nagrota has alternated between the BJP and the NC in the last five Assembly elections since 1996. The Congress did not field a candidate and did not formally join the NC campaign despite being part of the alliance at the state level.

Since the 1996 Assembly elections, the BJP has won the Nagrota seat thrice — in 2002, 2008 and 2024 — while the National Conference secured victories in 1996 and 2014.

Her late father, Devender Singh Rana, had twice represented Nagrota -- in 2014 and 2024 -- winning the last election with a record margin of 30,472 votes against his NC rival Joginder Singh. He was known for advocating a Dogra chief minister for Jammu and Kashmir.

Devyani is the niece of Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh and the granddaughter of former bureaucrat Rajinder Singh Rana. PTI AB NSD NSD