Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 10: Even though the Election Commission is yet to announce the schedule for the bye-election in the Nagrota Assembly segment of Jammu district, political activity has already intensified, with candidates and party workers gearing up for the contest.
Significantly, parties under the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) have begun their campaigns, signaling the possibility of a friendly contest among coalition partners. The seat fell vacant following the demise of BJP MLA and senior Jammu and Kashmir politician Devender Singh Rana in October 2024.
The Nagrota Assembly constituency saw a similar situation during the 2024 Assembly elections when two INDIA bloc allies—the National Conference (NC) and the Congress—fielded their respective candidates. National Conference’s Joginder Singh and Congress’s Balbir Singh had contested against each other, making it a multi-cornered fight. This time, the political landscape has become even more competitive, with the Panthers Party also throwing its hat into the ring.
Veteran Panthers Party leader and former minister Harsh Dev Singh has already launched his campaign, ahead of the official announcement of the bye-election schedule. His ear Political activity has already intensified in Nagrota, with candidates and party workers gearing up for the contest.
Significantly INDIA bloc parties have begun their campaigns, signaling the possibility of a friendly contest among coalition partners.
The seat fell vacant following the demise of BJP MLA and senior Jammu and Kashmir politician Devender Singh Rana in October 2024.
Late Rana had made history in the 2024 Assembly elections by securing a record-breaking victory in Nagrota.
The late Devender Singh Rana of the BJP had made history in the 2024 Assembly elections by securing a record-breaking victory in Nagrota, winning with a margin of 30,574 votes—the highest across all 90 Assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir. With the seat now up for grabs, political observers anticipate an intense contest among the INDIA bloc constituents, as well as potential contenders from the BJP and other parties.
While coalition partners in the INDIA alliance may ultimately decide on a consensus candidate, the current scenario suggests that Nagrota could once again witness a multi-party battle despite the alliance’s larger goal of unity against the BJP. The coming weeks are expected to bring clarity as negotiations and strategies unfold among key political players.
BJP is likely to nominate Divyani Rana, daughter of the late Devender Singh Rana, for this prestigious seat, which is considered a citadel of the late Rana. Devender Singh Rana had proved his popularity and stronghold on this seat by winning this segment in the 2014 Assembly elections as a National Conference candidate despite a strong Narendra Modi wave in Jammu province at that time. | 