Srinagar: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday announced that bypolls to Nagrota and Budgam assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on November 11. Counting and results will be announced on November 14.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, while announcing the dates of assembly elections in Bihar, also announced that by-elections in Nagrota and Budgam assembly constituencies will be held on November 11. The Nagrota assembly constituency in Udhampur district of Jammu region and the Budgam assembly constituency fell vacant in October and November last year.
The Budgam seat fell vacant after Omar Abdullah retained the Ganderbal seat. The Nagrota seat fell vacant after the death of BJP leader Devendra Singh Rana.
The Budgam seat fell vacant on October 21 last year, when National Conference’s Omar Abdullah vacated it to retain the Ganderbal seat – his family stronghold. Omar Abdullah won by 10,574 votes against PDP candidate Bashir Mir.
The Jammu and Kashmir chief minister had won the Budgam seat by defeating young Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Aga Syed Muntajir Mehdi by 18,485 votes.
The Nagrota seat fell vacant due to the death of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Devendra Singh Rana. Before taking oath as an MLA, the 59-year-old Rana died on November 1, 2024 after illness.
He won the seat by defeating his nearest rival and National Conference candidate Joginder Singh by 30,472 votes. Rana’s daughter Devyani Rana is organising several events in this constituency and is fully prepared to contest elections on a BJP ticket.
However, the six-month deadline for by-elections to these two seats expired in April this year. The Election Commission of India (ECI) did not hold elections on schedule, which was criticised by political parties in Jammu and Kashmir.
Assembly elections to elect 90 MLAs in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir were held in three phases from September 18 to October 1 in 2024 after a gap of ten years.
As per Section 151A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (RPA), a by-election to fill a vacancy should be held within six months from the date of vacancy.
For delay in elections, two exceptions are listed in the section: if the remainder of the term is less than one year or if the Election Commission of India in consultation with the Government of India certifies that it is difficult to hold elections within six months.
The Election Commission of India has decided to deploy 470 officers as central observers in the by-elections to be held in Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Telangana, Punjab, Mizoram and Odisha last week.
