High-Stakes By-Elections in J&K: 33 Candidates in the Fray for Budgam and Nagrota Assembly Seats Headline
Race to the Assembly: Nomination Filing Closes for Budgam and Nagrota By-polls, Voting on Nov 11
Jammu: A total of 33 candidates have successfully filed their nomination papers for the upcoming by-elections to the Budgam (27) and Nagrota (77) Assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir. Monday marked the final deadline for the submission of nominations, with candidates from all major political parties formalizing their entry into the contest.
According to a report from Akashvani Jammu Correspondent, the competition is particularly intense for the Budgam seat, which has attracted 20 candidates. In contrast, the Nagrota seat has seen 13 candidates submit their nominations.
The list of candidates for the 27-Budgam constituency features prominent leaders from regional and national parties, including: Aga Syed Mehmood (National Conference nominee),Aga Muntazir Mehdi (Peoples Democratic Party candidate),Aga Syed Mohsin (Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate),Deeba Khan (Aam Aadmi Party’s candidate), Nazir Ahmad Khan (Independent candidate), Muntazir Mohiuddin (Independent candidate), Jibran Dar (Independent candidate).
Candidates for the Budgam seat filed their papers before the Returning Officer, marking the conclusion of the nomination phase for this high-profile constituency.
For the 77-Nagrota constituency, the 13 candidates include: Devyani Rana (BJP’s candidate, daughter of the late Devinder Singh Rana), Harshdev Singh (J&K National Panthers Party’s candidate), Shamim Begum (National Conference’s candidate).
The Road Ahead: Polling and Results
The by-elections for both the Budgam and Nagrota seats are scheduled to take place on November 11, 2025. The results and counting of votes will be held a few days later, on November 14, 2025.
The by-elections were necessitated by two distinct vacancies:
Budgam Seat (27): The seat fell vacant after the incumbent Chief Minister Omar Abdullah (National Conference) decided to vacate it. Having won both Budgam and his traditional family stronghold of Ganderbal in the 2024 Assembly elections, Mr. Abdullah chose to retain the Ganderbal constituency.
Nagrota Seat (77): The by-poll was triggered by the unfortunate demise of sitting BJP legislator and senior leader Devinder Singh Rana in October last year.
With the deadline for nominations closed, the scrutiny of papers will be carried out shortly, after which the final list of candidates will be announced, setting the stage for the two-week-long campaigning period.