Srinagar, October 6, 2025 : The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday announced the schedule for by-elections to two key Assembly constituencies — Budgam and Nagrota — in Jammu and Kashmir, to be held simultaneously with the Bihar Assembly Election 2025.
Announcing the schedule at a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said that polling will take place on November 11, while the counting of votes is slated for November 14, 2025.
The Budgam Assembly seat fell vacant after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah resigned from the constituency, opting to retain his Ganderbal seat, which he had also won in last year’s Assembly elections.
The Nagrota seat, on the other hand, fell vacant following the demise of senior BJP leader Devender Singh Rana on October 31, 2024, just weeks after the Assembly election results were declared in the Union Territory.
The by-elections in these two politically significant constituencies are expected to witness intense contests, as they hold strategic importance for both regional and national parties ahead of the next full-term elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Election Commission also unveiled the by-election schedule for several other vacant seats across different states, along with the Bihar Assembly election timeline.
