BJP fields Aga Syed Mohsin, Devyani Rana for J&K bypolls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday announced its candidates for the upcoming Assembly bypolls in Jammu and Kashmir, fielding Aga Syed Mohsin from the Budgam seat and Devyani Rana from Nagrota.

An official release stated that the names were approved by the BJP’s Central Election Committee.

Voting for the two seats will be held on November 11, and counting of votes will take place on November 14. The Budgam seat fell vacant after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah resigned, opting to retain Ganderbal—the other constituency he contested in last year’s Assembly elections. In Nagrota, the vacancy arose following the demise of Devender Singh Rana, who had won from the seat in the previous elections.

Aga Syed Mohsin is a former BJP district president for Budgam in Central Kashmir. The BJP had not contested the Budgam seat in the last Assembly elections.

Devyani Rana, daughter of the late Devender Singh Rana, was appointed vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), J&K, in January this year. She currently serves as CEO of the media house previously owned by her father and has been actively touring the Nagrota constituency, engaging with locals and holding public meetings.

Political activity has intensified across Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the bypolls, particularly in Budgam. The election is being widely seen as a referendum on the performance of the ruling National Conference (NC), which has faced mounting criticism from opposition parties over what they describe as a year marked by underperformance and unfulfilled promises.

Meanwhile, the by-election in Nagrota is expected to serve as a barometer of the BJP’s continued influence in the Jammu region, where the party secured a strong showing in last year’s elections, winning 28 seats.

The last date for filing nominations is October 20, while the last date for the withdrawal of candidature is October 24.