SRINAGAR (KIMS) — Voting began on Tuesday in the Budgam and Nagrota Assembly constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir amid tight security and cold weather conditions.
Polling started at 7:00 AM and will continue till 6:00 PM.
The bypoll in Budgam was necessitated after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chose to retain his Ganderbal seat, leaving Budgam vacant following his victory from both constituencies in the 2024 Assembly elections.
In Nagrota, the election was held again after the death of MLA Devender Singh Rana, who had won the seat in the 2024 Assembly elections.
Long queues of voters were seen outside polling stations in both constituencies, with many first-time voters turning up to cast their ballots. Several of them said they did not want to miss the opportunity to participate in the democratic process.
In Budgam, the contest is mainly between Agha Syed Mehmood of the National Conference, Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi of the PDP, Aga Syed Mohsin of the BJP, and Deeba Khan of the Aam Aadmi Party, besides several independent candidates.
In Nagrota, Devyani Rana of the BJP, Shamim Begum of the National Conference, Harsh Dev Singh of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, and Bodh Raj of the Apni Party are among the key contenders, along with a few independent candidates in the fray. — (KIMS)