Overview
- PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi won Budgam by over 4,100 votes against NC’s Aga Syed Mehmood, breaking the NC’s hold on the seat dating back to 1972.
- BJP’s Devyani Rana secured Nagrota with 42,350 votes, defeating JKNPP’s Harsh Dev Singh by 24,647 votes as the NC finished a distant third with roughly 10,8xx.
- Polling on November 11 drew 50.01% turnout in Budgam versus 74.82% in Nagrota, with counting under tight security on November 14.
- The Budgam vacancy followed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah vacating the seat for Ganderbal, while Nagrota’s bypoll followed the death of BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana, whose daughter Devyani now succeeds him.
- NC’s setbacks were compounded by internal dissent, with Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah staying off the Budgam campaign, as observers noted an eroding NC base in Jammu where Congress did not contest Nagrota.