Three More Enter the Race for Udhampur Lok Sabha Seat as Elections Approach

In a significant development ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, three additional candidates have submitted their nomination papers for the Udhampur-Kathua parliamentary constituency in Jammu. This recent submission brings the total number of contenders for this seat to five. The candidates, Amit Kumar and Tilak Raj from the Bahujan Samaj Party, along with Swarn Veer Singh Jaral running as an Independent, officially entered the race on Friday, according to an official spokesperson.

The constituency, which has historically been a Congress stronghold, is witnessing a keen contest this time around. Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who is seeking re-election from the Udhampur-Kathua seat, filed his nomination on Thursday with Prem Nath serving as his covering candidate. The election for this seat is scheduled for April 19, marking it as part of the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections that encompasses 102 seats across 17 states and four Union territories.

The electoral process for this constituency kicked off with the issuance of the notification on Wednesday. Prospective candidates have until March 27 to file their nominations. The scrutiny of these papers is set for March 28, with the option to withdraw nominations available until March 30.

Jitendra Singh, who has represented the Udhampur-Kathua constituency twice in the past, expressed his gratitude towards the electorate for their continued support and sought their blessings for a third term. In the 2014 elections, Singh emerged victorious over Ghulam Nabi Azad, a former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and a seasoned Congress leader, by a margin of over 60,000 votes. He further solidified his position in 2019 by defeating Vikram Aditya Singh of the Congress with a substantial lead of 3,57,252 votes.

The Udhampur-Kathua constituency has seen an increase in its voter base following a recent summary revision, now boasting over 16.20 lakh registered voters. The Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir are set to unfold in five phases. Each of the five parliamentary constituencies will witness polling on separate dates: April 19 for Udhampur, April 26 for Jammu, May 7 for Anantnag, May 13 for Srinagar, and May 20 for Baramulla. Additionally, the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat, encompassing Kargil and Leh districts, will participate in the fifth phase of the election.