Nowshera, a Congress stronghold from 1962 to 2002, saw Ravinder Raina’s 2014 victory mark the BJP’s first win in the constituency. Ravinder Raina, the BJP president of Jammu and Kashmir, was trailing in Rajouri district’s Nowshera constituency by over 8,000 votes against his rival, Surinder Choudhary of the National Conference, in the assembly election, the results of which are being announced on Tuesday, October 8.
Surinder Choudhary was leading with 30,883 votes after the third round of counting, according to the latest data from the Election Commission of India. Raina had defeated Choudhary in the 2014 assembly elections by over 95,000 votes. Choudhary, a former Member of the Legislative Council left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in March 2022 to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, he exited the BJP in July 2023 and joined the National Conference (NC).
Nowshera was historically a stronghold for the Congress party, securing victories in eight consecutive terms from 1962 to 2002. The 2014 election marked a significant shift, as Raina’s win represented the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) first-ever victory in this constituency. Raina’s candidacy carries significant weight for several reasons. As the state president of the BJP, he spearheaded the party’s election campaign and was recognised as a key figure in campaign strategy.
Born on September 15, 1970, Raina has a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Political Science. He began his political career in his youth and quickly rose through the ranks in the BJP, where he focuses on promoting national unity and development. Raina spoke at several public events, saying, “Our goal is to make sure that everyone in Jammu and Kashmir benefits from national policies and development projects.”
The Nowshera assembly seat with a total of 86,506 voters and 116 polling stations was one of the 11 segments in the Jammu region that participated in the second phase of elections on September 25. In addition to the two main candidates, three more contenders were in the race inclduing Haq Nawaz from the PDP, Manohar Singh representing the BSP and Shiv Dev Sharma, who ran as an Independent.
