BJP eyes to retain seat amid rebel challenge; Harsh Dev Singh seeks comeback
Arteev Sharma
Jammu, March 2: As the Nagrota Assembly segment prepares for a likely by-election next month, political activity has gained momentum in the constituency with parties and potential candidates ramping up their campaigns to connect with voters in an attempt to secure their support.
The by-election in the Nagrota assembly segment was necessitated by the death of senior BJP leader and former MLA from the seat, Devender Singh Rana on October 31 last year.
Aspiring candidates have launched aggressive outreach efforts, ranging from door-to-door canvassing to small public gatherings and road-shows, indicating that the battle for Nagrota is going to be a high-stakes political contest. However, alongside these campaigns, political mudslinging and sharp attacks have also escalated.
According to BJP insiders, the party is keen on retaining the seat and is most likely to field Rana’s daughter, Devyani Rana. Devyani has already been actively interacting with the local residents, attending social and religious gatherings to bolster her presence among the voters.
“Her candidature would not only serve as a continuation of her father’s political legacy but also as a powerful symbolic gesture, strengthening the BJP’s grip on the constituency. By positioning Devyani as the rightful successor to her father’s mantle, the party is also expected to tap into an emotional undercurrent that could work in their favour,” they said.
However, the BJP is also facing a potential setback from within. Anil Sharma, president of the All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) and the party leader, has announced his intention to contest the by-election, posing a challenge as a party rebel. His decision could cause a dent to the BJP’s electoral prospects.
“We are requesting the party to wisely decide while giving mandate this time. The people will not tolerate any attempt of the political parties to implement SRO-43 in electoral politics by favouring the kin of MLAs and MPs,” Sharma said while launching a campaign for bringing “public reforms” in Dansal area today.
“People who have dedicated their lives to the welfare of the masses are being ignored by political parties in favour of those who have political fathers and can wield power or money. This practice needs to end immediately”, Sharma said.
Three-time MLA and former minister, Harsh Dev Singh of the J&K Panthers Party (India) has also decided to contest the upcoming by-election in the Nagrota assembly segment. It has stirred political chatter in the constituency as he shifts his focus from Chenani assembly constituency, where he lost to his arch-rival from the BJP, Balwant Singh Mankotia in the assembly elections held last October by a big margin of over 15,000 votes.
With this move, Singh is not only seeking his re-entry into the legislative assembly but also aiming to reclaim his political relevance. He has been conducting road-shows and addressing small gatherings in the area to turn electoral wave in his favour.
However, the situation in Nagrota is far from straightforward. The National Conference, one of the key players in the constituency, is yet to announce its candidate, leaving the door open for speculation. Given its strong support base—having won the seat in 1996 and 2014—the party is expected to field its own candidate rather than backing an INDIA bloc nominee.
The NC fielded Joginder Singh alias Kaku as its candidates in the last assembly elections in 2024 against the BJP’s candidate, late Devender Singh Rana who defeated the former in a one-way contest with the highest margin of 30,472 votes across all 90 assembly seats of Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly. Kaku has also been regularly holding meetings and interactions with the electorates to give a tough fight, if given chance, to the BJP candidate.
There are strong speculations that Congress Party is also attempting to regain lost ground in the constituency and is considering fielding former MLA Balwan Singh as its candidate.
Apart from Devyani Rana, another name in BJP’s internal discussions is Nand Kishore Sharma, brother of Jugal Kishore Sharma, BJP’s Lok Sabha member from Jammu-Reasi. Nand Kishore, recently appointed as the district president for BJP’s Organizational District Jammu North, is making a strong push for the party mandate.
