The BJP candidate had resigned from his post of superintendent of Bhondsi jail & joined BJP last month. His request for voluntary retirement was processed promptly ahead of polls.
Five years ago, Congress had fielded Chander Mohan from this seat but he had lost to Gian Chand Gupta by a narrow margin of nearly 5,000 votes. This time, he won by 1,997 votes.
28 former militants and separatists, including 10 candidates backed by Jamaat-e-Islami and others by Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), bit the dust as J&K chose to vote for mainstream parties.