Worries ahead for the Congress as the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) of former party stalwart Ghulam Nabi Azad is going to field its candidate in the Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat, where BJP leader and Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh are in the fray to make a hatrick.
Within days after BJP repeated Dr. Jitendra Singh for this seat, DPAP announced to field former minister and three-time MLA from the Inderwal assembly segment, Ghulam Mohammad Saroori, for the Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming general polls. The announcement was made at a public rally addressed by DPAP chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad at Chrar-e-Shareef in Budgam district of central Kashmir.
"For Udhampur-Doda, it is my intention and I will discuss it with others that G M Saroori will contest. He is the most senior leader and four-time MLA and vice chairperson of our party. I think I am active, but he is more active than me. He is the appropriate candidate. We have not yet taken a final decision, but we have zeroed in on the name," Azad told reporters after the rally. The DPAP also announced Saroori's name in a statement and on the party's X handle.
By naming Saroori as their candidate, Ghulam Nabi Azad aims to upset the Congress's strategy in this contested constituency where the party is facing challenges. Saroori, a prominent figure within the party, has secured victory in three consecutive elections held in 2002, 2008, and 2014.
Reports suggest that in recent months, the Congress leadership has recognized the significance of Ghulam Nabi Azad and his followers in the former Doda district, which encompasses the Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban districts.
Equation changed on this seat after delimitation exercise
This time, the political equations have changed in this parliamentary constituency after the completion of the delimitation exercise.
Earlier, the Udhampur parliamentary seat was comprised of the Reasi district, where Congress has a stronghold in areas like Mahore, Arnas, Gool, and Ghulabgarh, but now these areas are part of the Jammu Lok Sabha segment.
In two previous elections, Congress candidates secured massive leads in the Mahore and Gool-Arnas constituencies, but now the situation has changed.
This time, Congress's focus would be on Ramban, Doda, and Kishtwar districts to get the most votes, but in these, Ghulam Nabi Azad has strong influence.
Azad will also work to cut Congress votes on this seat. He has been mainly active in hilly areas like Doda, Kishtwar, and Bhaderwah.
Reasi's joining the Jammu parliamentary seat will have an impact on the public's support for Congress in the elections. In 2014, Mumtaz Ahmed of Congress was the MLA from Gulabgarh in Reasi. Ejaz Khan of Congress has been an MLA from Gool Arnas. J&K Congress president Vikar Rasool Wani also comes from this parliamentary constituency.
There are more than 7 lakh voters in the Udhampur parliamentary seat. In the 2019 elections, BJP Lok Sabha member Dr. Jitendra Singh had secured 724311 votes, out of which 8905 votes were obtained through postal ballot. Congress's Vikramaditya came in second and got 367059 votes, out of which 936 came through postal mail.
Who won from the Udhampur seat when?
- 1957: Inderjeet Malhotra (Congress).
- 1967 (By-election) -Dr. Karan Singh (Congress).
- 1967 Brigadier Ghansara Singh (Congress).
- 1971 Dr. Karan Singh (Congress).
- 1977 Dr. Karan Singh (Congress).
- 1980 Dr. Karan Singh (Congress-U).
- 1984 Girdhari Lal (Congress).
- 1988 (by-election)-Mohammad A Khan (Congress).
- 1989 Dharampal (Congress).
- 1996 Prof Chaman Lal Gupta (BJP)
- 1998 Prof Chaman Lal Gupta (BJP)
- 1999 Prof Chaman Lal Gupta (BJP)
- 2004 Choudhary Lal Singh (Congress)
- 2009 Choudhary Lal Singh (Congress)
- 2014 Dr. Jitendra Singh (BJP)
- 2019 Dr. Jitendra Singh (BJP)
