A voter turnout of more than 75 per cent was recorded in the bypoll to Jammu and Kashmir's Nagrota assembly constituency, where voting was held on Tuesday amid tight security.
The constituency had registered 77.66 per cent polling in 2024 assembly elections.
According to the Election Commission data, Nagrota recorded 75.08 per cent polling on Tuesday.
Voting, which began at 7 am across 150 polling stations in the constituency in Jammu district, passed off peacefully, officials said. The polling concluded at 6 pm.
Counting of votes will take place on November 14.
The bypoll was necessitated after the death of BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana in October last year.
Long queues were seen at several polling stations in the constituency since morning.
BJP candidate Devyani Rana, daughter of former MLA Devender Singh Rana whose death necessitated the bypoll, visited various polling booths and expressed confidence in securing a strong mandate.
"I am hopeful of my victory. People of the constituency will bless me with a large number of votes, just as they blessed my father and former MLA Devender Singh Rana," she told reporters at the Katal Batal polling station.
She urged voters to turn out to vote in large numbers.
Former Naib Sarpanch Girdari Lal said there was “enthusiasm among voters” and that polling was taking place peacefully.
"Polling was held in peaceful atmosphere and no untoward incidents was reported from anywhere. All arrangements were put in the place and people came out to vote in good numbers," an official said.
The contest is largely triangular, involving the BJP, National Conference (NC) and the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP).
BJP's Devyani Rana is seeking to capitalise on public sympathy and her MLA father’s goodwill after he died in October last year.
Rana is pitted against NC nominee and sitting District Development Council (DDC) member Shamim Begum, and JKNPP president Harsh Dev Singh, a former state education minister and three-time MLA from Ramnagar.
Rana, an economics graduate from the University of California and currently managing her family’s businesses, has campaigned on a platform of “professional and inclusive development”.
Begum has banked on grassroots outreach and organisational support from the NC to project continuity in local governance.
Singh, contesting Nagrota for the first time, has highlighted his legislative experience and asserted himself as an alternative to both major parties.
A total of 97,980 voters are eligible to decide the fate of 10 candidates in the bypoll.
Voters were lined up at Kol Kandoli polling station waiting for their turn. Sunita Devi, who polled her vote, said it is for continuance of the development of the Nagrota area.
Nagrota has alternated between the BJP and NC over the last five Assembly elections since 1996. The Congress has not fielded a candidate and has not formally joined the NC campaign despite being part of the alliance at the state level.
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