Jammu: Devyani Singh Rana entered electoral politics not by choice but out of compulsion to fulfill her father’s last wish. Today, climbing the first step of political success, she won the prestigious Nagrota Assembly by-election by a landslide margin of over 24,000 votes.
For 30-year-old Devyani, who completed her economics degree in Los Angeles, arriving at the counting center at the Government Polytechnic College in Jammu to accept her certificate of victory from the Returning Officer was an emotional moment. Before beginning the journey from home to the counting center, she sought her grandmother’s blessings and prayed for the peace of her father, Devendra Singh Rana’s soul.
She remembered her late father in every word she spoke and assured the people that just as Devendra Singh Rana had served the people of the Nagrota constituency, rising above religion, caste, colour, and language, she would carry forward his legacy and that the doors of her home would always remain open to the people of the Nagrota constituency as well as Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking to the media after her victory, she said, “Just as Rana sahab was serving the people, I will also try to follow his example and reach out to the people of the Nagrota constituency, who have given me such a big opportunity and responsibility today.”
She said, “I will try to follow in his footsteps, and the doors of our house will remain as open as they were during Rana Sahib’s time. He never asked anyone about their religion, caste, or color, and welcomed everyone into his home. His mantra was to serve the people, and I will do the same. Whoever comes to us from Nagrota or any part of Jammu and Kashmir, I assure you, we will serve them.”
Devyani said, “This election is a true tribute to Rana Sahib, and during the last 11 months, we have served the people and will continue to do so during this term as well, and hope to be able to fulfill the expectations of the people of the Nagrota constituency.”
Accompanied by Jammu-North MLA Sham Lal Sharma and hundreds of other supporters, Devyani Rana was welcomed with slogans and garlands. After accepting the victory certificate, she reached the BJP headquarters in Trikuta Nagar, where she was greeted by Union Territory (UT) BJP President Sat Sharma and other leaders.
Born into the family of engineer-turned-politician Devendra Singh Rana and Gunjan Rana, Devyani is no stranger to political activity in her home. Although she wasn’t involved in politics until a year ago, after her father’s death on October 31, 2024, she took this path to fulfill his last wish of serving the people of Nagrota, who had elected Rana twice since 2014.
Devyani’s maternal grandfather, S.S. Balauria, was the former Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, while her maternal grandmother, Rani Balauria, was a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC). Her uncle, Dr. Jitendra Singh, is a Minister of State (MoS) in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
As for her educational qualifications, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles. After completing her education, Devyani Rana took over the family businesses, Tech Television Network and Jamkash Vehicles, and was successfully running them before deciding to enter politics. Now, the people of Nagrota have entrusted her with the responsibility of raising their voices in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and advancing the constituency’s development.
