SRINAGAR: Former Minister and founder of Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan, Choudhary Lal Singh, is all set to join the Congress party in New Delhi today and is likely to contest the Lok Sabha polls from the Udhampur constituency.
Singh, a former Congressman, had left the party after the 2014 general elections and had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), where he served as a minister in the PDP-BJP coalition government.
The two-time Member of Parliament (MP) from Udhampur, Singh’s return to the Congress will give a significant boost to the grand-old party from the seat where Minister of State (MoS) in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Dr Jitendra Singh, is contesting on BJP’s ticket.
His candidature will add interest to the contest for the Udhampur seat as he has his own base in his home district Kathua, and Congress enjoys a good reputation in Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban districts of this constituency.
With his entry, there will be a direct contest between him and Jitendra Singh, while Democratic Progress Azad Party’s (DPAP) candidate and former MLA from Inderwal, Ghulam Muhammad Saroori, will also play a major role as a native of Kishtwar.
Udhampur is set to go to polls in the first phase of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections on April 19. (KNO)
