Devyani Rana of the BJP achieved a significant win in the Nagrota Assembly bypoll on Thursday, garnering 42,143 votes, which put her more than 24,000 votes ahead of her nearest rival, former minister Harsh Dev Singh from the J&K National Panthers Party (India). The ruling National Conference faced considerable challenges in this election, landing in a distant third place, with its candidate Shamim Begum receiving only 10,834 votes, according to the final figures from the Election Commission. Devyani Rana, who graduated in Economics from the University of California, is the daughter of the late Devender Rana, who previously won this seat for the BJP in the 2024 Assembly elections by over 30,000 votes against the NC’s Joginder Singh.
Following Devender Rana’s passing in October last year, this bypoll was necessitated. Although the BJP’s winning margin decreased slightly compared to the last election, the outcome highlights a concerning trend for the National Conference — its support in the constituency seems to have diminished quicker than that of any other significant competitor.