Srinagar, Oct 15: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Central Election Committee on Tuesday approved its candidates for the upcoming assembly by-elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sushri Devyani Rana will contest from Nagrota (Constituency No. 77) while Aga Syed Mohsin has been fielded from Budgam (Constituency No. 27).
The announcement was made by Arun Singh, National General Secretary and In-Charge of BJP Headquarters.
The announcement comes just weeks before the November 11 polling date, with the constituency – a traditional BJP stronghold – having fallen vacant following the untimely death of Devyani’s father and senior BJP leader Devender Singh Rana, on October 31, 2024.
Devyani Rana, 32, the daughter of the late MLA and niece of Union Minister, expressed unbridled confidence in carrying forward her father’s “winning streak” during a media interaction at her residence in Jammu.
Surrounded by jubilant BJP workers and supporters who celebrated the news with traditional Dhol beats, she stated, “I would like to continue with my father’s winning streak. I have received a lot of love and blessings from the people, especially the youth, and the party. We are confident of winning. The work done over the past year has been appreciated by people. I intend to take forward the vision of Rana sahib for Nagrota.”
Emphasizing the enduring bond with the electorate, she added, “Nagrota will always remain with BJP. I am sure the voters will bless me with overwhelming support.”
The BJP’s Central Election Committee (CEC) cleared Devyani’s name alongside Aga Syed Mohsin for the Budgam seat in Kashmir, as confirmed in an official release from the party headquarters in New Delhi.
This decision overrides speculation around other contenders like Nand Kishore Sharma and Anil Sharma, banking instead on the sympathy wave generated by Devender Rana’s passing.
The senior Rana had scripted history in the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections by securing a record 48,113 votes – the highest margin in the Union Territory at 30,472 votes – defeating National Conference (NC) candidate Joginder Singh.
A former NC loyalist, who defected to the BJP in 2021, Devender Rana had previously won the seat in 2014 on an NC ticket, underscoring the constituency’s volatile yet BJP-leaning dynamics since 1996.
Nagrota, encompassing parts of Jammu district with a diverse voter base including urban professionals, farmers, and ex-servicemen, remains a prestige battleground.
The BJP’s 2024 triumph here was pivotal in its Jammu sweep, contrasting with the NC’s Valley dominance.
