Budgam, Nagrota record strong polling in J&K’s politically crucial bypolls

Srinagar: Two politically significant assembly constituencies — Budgam in central Kashmir and Nagrota in Jammu district — went to bypolls on Tuesday, witnessing enthusiastic voter participation despite freezing temperatures in the Valley.

According to election officials, Nagrota recorded over 73 percent voter turnout, while Budgam saw nearly 50 percent polling by the end of the day. The polling, held amid tight security arrangements, remained peaceful in both constituencies, with no untoward incident reported.

Voting began at 7 a.m. under bone-chilling conditions, as most parts of the Valley experienced sub-zero night temperatures. In Budgam, voters began trickling into polling booths early in the morning, defying the cold to exercise their franchise. Security personnel were deployed in strength to ensure a smooth polling process.

A total of 17 candidates are in the fray from Budgam, including National Conference’s (NC) Aga Syed Mehmood, Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Aga Syed Muntazir, and BJP’s Aga Syed Mohsin. The seat holds symbolic importance for the NC, which has dominated Budgam since 1962 — losing only once, in 1972, to the Congress.

The bypoll in Budgam was necessitated after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah vacated the seat earlier this year, choosing to retain Ganderbal, a constituency long associated with his family and considered the NC’s traditional stronghold.

In Nagrota, where over 97,000 voters were eligible to cast their ballots across 154 polling stations, polling also began at 7 am and continued smoothly throughout the day.

Officials reported long queues at several booths, particularly in rural pockets of the constituency.

The contest in Nagrota has largely shaped up as a three-way battle between the BJP, National Conference (NC), and the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP). The seat fell vacant following the death of former MLA Devender Singh Rana on October 31, 2024.

Both constituencies are considered politically sensitive — Budgam being a key central Kashmir seat with deep religious and political influence, and Nagrota serving as a gateway constituency to Jammu city with a mix of urban and rural voters.

Officials said the bypolls were conducted peacefully under multi-layered security cover, marking another step in the reactivated democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir following the 2024 Assembly elections — the first since the abrogation of Article 370.

Counting of votes for both constituencies is scheduled on November 4.