Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency: Rajput citadel to see a fierce battle

The Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency, traditionally a Rajput dominant seat, is set to see a neck-to-neck fight between Union minister and sitting MP Dr Jitendra Singh and Congress’ Choudhary Lal Singh. The segment goes to poll in the first phase on April 19.

J&K Pradesh Congress Committee president Vikar Rasool Wani endorsed the candidature of Lal Singh and convinced the party high command to field him against Bharatiya Janata Party’s Dr Jitendra Singh, who won from the segment in 2019 and 2014.

Lal Singh was arrested in November last year by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in a money laundering case, and is out on bail and campaigning in the interiors of the constituency.

Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) has fielded three-time MLA Ghulam Mohammad Saroori. Although his rallies are attracting good crowd, the two Rajput leaders, Dr Jitendra and Lal Singh, are the main contestants in fray. Lal Singh had also won from the seat on a Congress mandate in 2004 and 2009.

The BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi who recently held a rally in Udhampur, have reiterated the overall development in J&K, especially after the revocation of Article 370, and the Ram Temple as the focal points in their rallies woo the Hindu voters.

Wani, however, says that the BJP has only continued the works stated by the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, under the leadership of Congress.

“Highlighting ongoing national projects which were started by the UPA government doesn’t make them BJP projects. The PM, in his last visit to Jammu, inaugurated railways project at Banihal that was started by the Congress,” he said, claiming that national projects continue irrespective of parties that come to power.

In their campaigns, Congress leaders have been attacking the BJP over “unemployment, inflation, lack of civic amenities, high taxes and recruitment scams that frustrated the youth.”

Few political developments in the region might also cast a shadow of doubt on the winning prospects of the BJP nominee.

Panthers Party chief and former J&K education minister Harsh Dev Singh, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders have extended support to the Congress.

Additionally, former minister Manohar Lal Sharma from Billawar, who parted ways with DPAP and rejoined the Congress, and former BJP MLA Durga Dass from Hiranagar coming back into the grand old party’s fold, might make things difficult for Dr Jitendra.

Listing the important projects in Udhampur Lok Sabha segment over the last 10 years, Dr Jitendra said that his constituency gained maximum benefits.

“My vote percentage would certainly increase. This time, we are competing with ourselves and there is no other competition,” he said, brushing off any threat from Lal Singh.

The Udhampur segment is traditionally considered a Rajput seat, with the community making up around 42% of the population.

Furthermore, the constituency has 10% Scheduled Castes (SC) population which traditionally allies with the Congress. However, the BJP has made inroads into the SC community in recent times.

In the 15 parliamentary elections held from 1957 to 2019, the Congress won 10. Between 1996 and 2019, the BJP has registered five wins.

Though BJP’s Chaman Lal Gupta won in 1996, 1998 and 1999 and two Brahmin leaders from the Congress, Dharam Paul Sharma and Girdhari Lal Dogra, won in 1984 and 1989, respectively, Rajput leaders have emerged victorious from the seat eight times. Karan Singh won four times from 1967 to 1980.

Following the fresh delimitation exercise, the constituency spans over five districts, Udhampur, Kathua, Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban.