Ending all suspense over his "Gharwapsi" in the Grand-old-Party, veteran politician of Jammu and Kashmir and chairman of the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Choudhary Lal Singh on Wednesday joined the Congress Party in New Delhi.
The two-time Lok Sabha member and former minister of the erstwhile state of J&K is likely to be the Congress candidate for the prestigious Udhampur-Kathua-Doda Parliamentary seat to take on Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh.
For the last over ten days, Choudhary Lal Singh has been camping in New Delhi and holding discussions with the leadership of the Congress about rejoining the party.
After floating his own political party, the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan, before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Lal Singh was in touch with the Congress leadership.
During the Bharat Jodo Yatra in January 2023, Choudhary Lal Singh welcomed Rahul Gandhi at Lakhanpur, the gate of the J&K.
Although he was not allowed to share the stage with Rahul Gandhi due to opposition by the National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, Singh was in constant touch with the Congress leadership.
The local unit of Congress, especially Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Vikar Rasool Wani, was working assiduously to ensure the Gharwapsi of Lal Singh.
Singh to be Cong candidate for Udhampur-Doda seat
Joining Choudhary Lal Singh in the party is a clear indication that he is likely to be a Congress candidate for the Udhampur-Doda-Kathua Lok Sabha seat, where Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh is a BJP candidate set to make a hat-trick.
As reported earlier, the J&K unit of the Congress urged the high command to reinduct Lal Singh in the party and give him a mandate on the Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat.
Choudhary Lal Singh is a two-time Lok Sabha member from this parliamentary constituency. In the 2004 parliamentary elections, Choudhary Lal Singh defeated veteran BJP leader and then Union Minister Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta in this seat, which was considered the citadel of the Saffron Party.
It is important to mention here that Prof. Gupta won this seat during three successive Lok Sabha elections.
In the 2009 parliamentary elections, Lal Singh again won the same by defeating another senior BJP leader, Dr. Nirmal Singh.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Congress replaced Choudhary Lal Singh with veteran politician Ghulam Nabi Azad on this seat, but he (Azad) lost to Dr. Jitendra Singh.
Singh returning to the Congress will give a huge boost to the Congress from the seat where Minister of State (MoS) in Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh is contesting on BJP's ticket. His candidature will make the electoral battle on the Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat interesting as he has his base in his home district Kathua and Congress enjoys a good reputation in the Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban districts of this constituency.
Arrested by ED in November 2023 in money laundering case
In November 2023, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Choudhary Lal Singh after grilling him for three days. Lal Singh was accused of alleged money laundering by RB Educational Trust – an educational society run by his family. Within days after his arrest, a local court granted interim bail to Choudhary Lal Singh.
Choudhary Lal Singh is the founder of the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party (DSSP), and he boasts a notable political career as a two-time Lok Sabha member and three-time MLA.
Lal Singh an important political figure in J&K politics
In 2014, Singh made a significant political move by transitioning from the Congress to the BJP. He also served as a minister in the previous PDP-BJP government, which met its demise in June 2018.
Singh's political journey includes two terms as a Lok Sabha member representing the Udhampur-Kathua parliamentary constituency and three consecutive MLA victories from Basohli.
During the 2014 assembly elections, Singh secured a seat as a BJP candidate after departing from the Congress and aligning with the Saffron Brigade. Subsequently, he held a cabinet minister position in the PDP-BJP coalition government.
In his pursuit of political influence, Singh formed his own party, the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan. Despite his efforts, he faced defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when he contested from both the Jammu-Poonch and Udhampur-Kathua constituencies.
