Nominations close for Udhampur; fifteen locked for April 19 contest

BJP’s MoS PMO, Cong’s Lal, INC’s Saroori appear big names in the list

Jammu: As nominations for Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency closes today, Ch Lal Singh from Indian National Congress filed his name for the contest along with seven other candidates from different parties listing their names for the contest with Divya Suraj Partap Singh being one more nominee from Indian National Congress.
Other candidates include Mehraj Din as Independent Candidate, Rajesh Manchanda from RashtriyaKrantikari Samajwadi Party, Sachin Gupta from Inqalab Vikas Dal ( I.V.D), Manoj Kumar from Ekam Sanatan Bharat Dal, Balwan Singh from J&K National Panthers Party and Dr Pankaj Sharma as Independent.
With the filing of nomination papers by these eight candidates, the total tally of candidates who have filed their candidature for 4-Udhampur PC goes to fifteen with Jitendra Singh as a candidate from Bharatiya Janata Party.
The scrutiny of the nomination papers will be held on March 28 while the candidate can withdraw their nomination before 3:00 PM on March 30,224 in the office of Returning Officer. The constituency is scheduled for Elections in the first phase of General Elections to be held on April 19.
The experts, however, look ahead to the contest which had been a one sided game for Jitendra Singh in the last two contests. In 2014 , riding Modi wave , Jitendra Singh outdid Ghulam Nabi Azad winning the seat securing 4,87,369 against 4,26,393 secured by Ghulam Nabi Azad of Indian National Conference whereas in 2019 battle , Singh again returned with overwhelming 724,311 against Indian national Conference Vikramaditya Singh who got 3,67,059.
Chaudhary Lal Singh , who had defected from BJP and formed his own Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan party (DSSP) and contesed the seat was lowly placed at meager 19,049.
Factors such as alliances, local issues, and the performance of the ruling party at the UT and national levels can influence the prospects of individual candidates. Chaudhary Lal Singh's popularity among voters, his track record as a politician and his ability to address local issues can play a crucial role.
The strength and popularity of other candidates viz Mos PMO Jitendra Singh contesting from the Udhampur constituency would also impact Chaudhary Lal Singh's prospects. The effectiveness of Chaudhary Lal Singh's campaign strategy, including outreach efforts, messaging, and ground-level mobilization, would influence his electoral prospects.
Meanwhile, as the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) from the Udhampur constituency, Jitendra Singh may have built a certain level of recognition and support among constituents based on his tenure and performance.
His performance as an MP, his initiatives for the constituency's development, and his engagement with local issues would influence his prospects.
The strength and popularity of opposing candidates fielded by rival parties or alliances would also affect Jitendra Singh's electoral prospects. Factors such as local grievances, socio-economic conditions, and regional sentiments could shape voter preferences. Jitendra Singh's ability to address these concerns effectively could sway electoral outcomes.
“However, all other parties are being watched as vote-cutters only as Ghulam Nabi Azad’s DAP having fielded Ghulam Mohamad Saroori would be a waste only,” said sources.