Joginder Singh Thakur gets 359 votes in Nagrota; Deeba Khan secures 459 votes in Budgam as AAP fails to gain even 1% vote share in both seats
Jammu, Nov 15: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffered a major political setback in the recently held by-elections in Jammu and Kashmir, with the party registering one of its weakest performances since entering the Union Territory’s electoral arena. Despite extensive campaigning on social media and repeated claims of strengthening its organisational structure, the party failed to make any impact on the ground.
In the Nagrota Assembly Constituency, AAP candidate Joginder Singh Thakur secured only 359 votes out of 73,833 votes polled, amounting to a mere 0.48% vote share. This outcome highlights the party’s inability to resonate with voters in a key constituency of the Jammu region, where traditional parties continue to dominate political sentiment.
A similar picture emerged in central Kashmir’s Budgam seat, where AAP’s Deeba Khan managed just 459 votes from 63,099 votes polled, translating to 0.72% of the total share. The figures reflect the party’s limited acceptance among voters despite its ongoing efforts to project itself as an emerging political alternative.
Political observers say the results underline a widening gap between AAP’s online narrative and its ground reality in Jammu and Kashmir. While the party maintains active engagement on digital platforms, the by-election outcome confirms that its social-media strength has not translated into a workable grassroots presence. Analysts note that without reliable booth-level cadres, a broader public outreach programme, and stronger local leadership, AAP is unlikely to gain traction in the competitive political landscape of J&K.
The by-election performances in both Nagrota and Budgam reaffirm that AAP currently lacks a significant voter base in the Union Territory, raising serious questions about its future strategy and relevance in the region’s evolving political dynamics.
