Jammu, Oct 15: The political landscape of Nagrota is abuzz with anticipation and emotion as Devyani Rana, vice president of the Jammu and Kashmir Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and daughter of late political stalwart Devender Singh Rana, has been officially announced as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidate from Nagrota constituency, which goes to polls on November 11, 2025.
Devyani’s nomination has infused a wave of enthusiasm among the people of Nagrota, who fondly call her “Hamari Beti, Hamari MLA.” For them, she represents not only the continuation of her father’s strong and people-centric leadership but also a new generation’s promise to blend empathy with energy in the service of society. A graduate from California, Devyani Rana represents both modern education and traditional values, which helped her to connect seamlessly with people across social and various age groups.
Since the passing away of her father, Devender Singh Rana, who was known for his resolute advocacy for the rights and development of the Jammu region, Devyani has shown remarkable composure and courage. Rather than retreating from public life, she stepped into her father’s shoes with quiet determination. In the midst of personal loss, she not only held her family together but also reached out to the people of Nagrota where many of whom had seen her father as their voice and guardian.
Those who have observed her journey closely say Devyani has inherited her father’s ability to listen, empathize, and act decisively. In the months following her father’s demise, she devoted herself to the people of Nagrota, travelling tirelessly through villages, meeting women’s groups, youth delegations, farmers, and traders. For her, politics was never about occupying a chair but it was about continuing her father’s mission of public service.
Devyani’s engagement with the people has been both emotional and practical. She ensured that every problem, whether related to roads, water supply, education, or employment, reached the right ears in the administration. Her consistent efforts to follow up on public grievances and ensure timely solutions earned her growing respect. In many ways, she began functioning like a people’s representative long before her candidature was announced.
“Devyani has treated us like her family,” said an elderly voter from Nagrota. “After Rana sahib’s passing, we thought the bond would weaken, but she was here for us the very next week, listening to our concerns and continuing her father’s legacy.”
Even at her family residence in Green Belt Park, Jammu, Devyani has maintained her father’s long-standing tradition of Jan Sunwai (open public hearings) where citizens from across Jammu cutting across the party lines come to discuss their problems. Regular visitors say she attends to each visitor patiently, jotting down grievances, making calls, and ensuring that bureaucratic files move faster.
Her father, Devender Singh Rana, had created a political milestone in 2024 by winning the Nagrota seat on a BJP ticket with a record margin and it was one of the highest across the Jammu and Kashmir union territory. His victory reflected not only his personal popularity but also the BJP’s growing roots in Jammu’s political soil. His untimely death left a vacuum not just within his family but also among the people who saw him as their bridge between local aspirations and government corridors.
Devyani Rana’s emergence has begun to fill that void. Political observers say she combines her father’s grassroots understanding with her own youthful vision and energy. Her involvement in BJYM’s initiatives has made her familiar with the pulse of the youth, while her calm and confident public interactions have made her a reassuring figure among the elders.
The BJP leadership, too, sees in her a capable and articulate leader who can carry forward the party’s development agenda in Jammu while strengthening emotional ties with the people. Her nomination from Nagrota has been described within party circles as both a “continuity of legacy” and a “renewal of leadership.”
As Nagrota gears up for polling on November 11, the constituency appears to be witnessing a one-sided wave in her favour. Posters declaring “Hamari Beti, Hamari MLA” adorn walls across the constituency from village chowks to town markets. The slogan resonates deeply with the sentiment of the people, who feel that Devyani represents both family and future.
For many in Nagrota, the election now seems less about political competition and more about emotional completion—a symbolic return of the Ranas’ leadership, albeit in a new avatar. Devyani’s connect with the people, her sincerity, and her grounded style of communication has turned the campaign into a movement rather than a conventional contest.
“There is no doubt in saying that Devyani Rana is set to be the next MLA from Nagrota,” said a senior local leader. “The polling process now appears to be a mere formality before the official declaration on November 14, when the EVMs are opened.”
As she campaigns through dusty lanes and hill roads, greeting people with folded hands and an ever-present smile, Devyani Rana symbolizes a blend of legacy and leadership where a young woman carrying forward the torch lit by her father, and doing so with grace, grit, and gratitude.
For the people of Nagrota, she is not just the BJP candidate. She is their Devyani—Hamari Beti, Hamari MLA.
Meanwhile, BJP’s Central Election Committee (CEC) also cleared Aga Syed Mohsin for the Budgam seat in Kashmir, as confirmed in an official release from the party headquarters in New Delhi.
