The Aam Aadmi Party has fielded Deeba Khan as its candidate for the Budgam assembly constituency and Advocate Joginder Singh Thakur for Nagrota in the upcoming by-elections in Jammu and Kashmir, according to details received by The Chenab Times.
The announcement was made on the social media account of jailed AAP MLA Mehraj Malik, Doda’s representative and state president of AAP Jammu and Kashmir. His personal assistant posted: “Congratulations and best wishes to Adv Joginder Singh Thakur and Deeba Khan for being nominated as Aam Aadmi Party Candidates for Nagrota and Budgam Respectively.”
The Budgam seat became vacant after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, from the National Conference, retained Ganderbal and resigned from Budgam following the 2024 assembly elections. Nagrota fell vacant on October 31, 2024, due to the death of BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana. Both seats have been vacant since then.
The Election Commission of India notified the bypolls on October 13, with voting scheduled for November 11 and results on November 14. In the 90-member J&K Assembly, the National Conference-led alliance holds 49 seats, including 42 from NC, while BJP has 29. AAP secured one seat in the 2024 elections.
AAP confirmed on October 6 that it would contest both seats, amid competition from parties like the Apni Party, which nominated Rasool Dar for Budgam and Bodraj Bhagat for Nagrota on October 15.
The Chenab Times News Desk