J-K Bypolls: PDP’s Aga Muntazir wins ‘battle of Agas in Budgam’, Devyani Rana retains Nagrota for BJP

Budgam Election Result 2025: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Aga Syed Muntazir emerged victorious in a hotly-contested by bypoll in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam Assembly constituency, while Devyani Rana– the daughter of late BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana– retained the Nagrota seat for the BJP, as bypoll results were declared on Friday.

Aga Muntazir wins ‘battle of the Agas’

In Budgam, Aga Syed Muntazir, the youngest son of influential Shia cleric Aga Syed Hassan, secured a decisive victory against his nearest rival and uncle, Aga Syed Mahmood, by a margin of 4,478 votes. Muntazir secured a total of 21,576 votes, while Mahmood received 17,098 votes, according to Election Commission data.

BJP’s Aga Syed Mohsin, a distant relative of Aga Muntazir and Aga Mehmood, was also in the fray, but only managed 2,619 votes, while independent candidate Jibran Dar stood third with 7,152 votes.

The Budgam bypoll turned into a hotly-contested battle as it pitted Aga Syed Muntazir and Aga Syed Mahmood, both influential leaders from the Budgam’s prominent Aga family, against each other. It was aptly dubbed the ‘Battle of The Agas’ by local media outlets as another local leader from the Aga family, BJP’s Aga Syed Mohsin Naqvi, also stood in the fray.

The Budgam bypoll was necessitated after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah vacated the seat and chose his family bastion of Ganderbal after winning from both constituencies in the assembly elections last year.

Devyani Rana retains Nagrota for BJP

Meanwhile, Devender Rana’s daughter, Devyani Rana, secured the Nagrota Assembly Constituency for the BJP with a margin of more than 24,000 votes.

Devyani Rana beat nine other candidates contesting for the seat. The BJP candidate beat Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (India) candidate Harsh Dev Singh with a margin of 24 thousand votes. While Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) candidate Shamim Begum trailed by a margin of around 26 thousand votes.

Rana is the daughter of former BJP MLA Devender Rana, who died on October 31, 2024, a week after taking oath as MLA of J-K Assembly. Rana had been a two time MLA of Nagrota. While he won the 2024 polls under the BJP ticket, he was part of the JKNC and won under their ticket in 2014.

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