Srinagar/Jammu, Nov 11 (NationPress) Polling concluded without incident in the assembly constituencies of Budgam and Nagrota on Tuesday, with Budgam seeing a voter turnout of 48 percent and Nagrota achieving a remarkable 72 percent participation.

Election officials reported that Budgam’s participation stood at 48 percent while Nagrota registered 72 percent by the end of the polling day.

According to poll officials, "Final participation figures may see a slight increase as data from all polling stations is currently being gathered and tabulated."

Many voters flocked to the polls to assert their democratic rights. The Budgam constituency, which comprises 1.76 lakh voters, had 173 polling stations established for residents.

Voters were observed donning traditional tweed attire known as ‘Pherans’, while women generally delayed their outings to the polling booths until after completing morning household chores.

Despite the early morning chill, significant queues formed as voters began arriving at polling stations.

As the day progressed and temperatures rose, enthusiasm for voting surged in both Budgam and Nagrota.

Polling commenced at 7 am and concluded at 6 pm.

In Budgam, there are 17 candidates competing, with notable figures such as Aga Syed Mehmood from the National Conference (NC) and Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) being the frontrunners.

Other contenders include Aga Syed Mohsin from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Nazir Ahmad Khan from the Awami Ittehad Party, Deeba Khan from the Aam Aadmi Party, and independent candidate Mohiuddin Muntazir.

This by-election was necessitated after NC Vice President and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah resigned from this constituency following his victory in the October 2024 assembly elections.

Nagrota also witnessed substantial voter turnout, with 10 candidates contesting. The main competition is between Devyani Rana of the BJP, Shamim Begum of the NC, and Harsh Dev Singh from the J&K National Panthers Party.

The need for a by-election in Nagrota arose after the passing of BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana on October 31, 2024.

The BJP nominated Devender Singh Rana’s daughter, Devyani, to contest in Nagrota. The constituency has historically favored the BJP since 2024, and a sympathy wave was noted during her campaign.

For the 97,893 eligible voters, 150 polling stations were deployed in the Nagrota constituency. To maintain order, paramilitary and police forces were stationed at vulnerable locations in both Budgam and Nagrota.

Polling officials assured that all necessary provisions were in place for a smooth voting process, with polling staff, surveillance teams, and magistrates assigned across various booths in Budgam and Nagrota.