Many bigwigs shift Assembly seats
Last day for nominations for Phase-III today
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 11: Ten more former Ministers and legislators, sitting DDC member and an ex SSP were among nearly three dozen candidates who entered the electoral fray on penultimate day of filing of nomination papers for third phase of elections on 24 Assembly constituencies of Jammu division going to polls on October 1.
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There was no let up in rebellion in the BJP with another senior party leader Pawan Khajuria revolting against the party and joining the fray as an Independent candidate from Udhampur East constituency against party’s official nominee RS Pathania, former MLA. Sunil Verma is the NC candidate backed by the Congress.
Bigwigs from the Congress entered the poll fray today as the party list for third phase was released only late Monday night. They include Mula Ram (Marh), Raman Bhalla (RS Pura-Jammu South), Choudhary Lal Singh (Basohli), Yogesh Sawhney (Jammu East) and Yash Paul Kundal (Ramgarh), all former Ministers; Taranjit Singh Tony (Bahu), Krishan Dev Singh (Samba) and Balbir Singh (Nagrota).
Chander Prakash Ganga (Vijaypur) and Rajiv Jasrotia (Jasrota), both former Ministers, filed their papers today as the BJP candidates. Gharu Ram Bhagat (Suchetgarh), Balwant Singh Mankotia (Chenani) and Vikram Singh Randhawa (Bahu), all former legislators of the BJP, too joined the electoral fray today. BJP candidate Dr Rajiv Bhagat filed nomination from Bishnah.
ML Kaith, who took voluntary retirement from the services as SSP, also entered the battle of ballots from Marh constituency where BJP has fielded Surinder Bhagat. Mula Ram, who held various portfolios as the Cabinet Minister, is backed by the NC whose senior leader Ajay Sadhotra accompanied him at the time of filing papers. Kaith was a contender for the BJP ticket but was not given the mandate.
Raman Bhalla has shifted to RS Pura-Jammu South constituency this time and will be facing BJP national secretary Dr Narinder Singh Raina and Choudhary Gharu Ram (DPAP), a former Minister among others. Bhalla had won Gandhi Nagar seat in 2002 and 2008 but lost in 2014. Later, he contested Lok Sabha elections in 2019 and 2024 but couldn’t make it to the Parliament.
In Gandhi Nagar seat (now Bahu after inclusion and exclusion of some areas), the Congress candidate Taranjit Singh Tony has joined the contest. He will be facing Vikram Singh Randhawa of the BJP besides others. Tony is sitting DDC member from Suchetgarh from where he contested Assembly elections also in the past but the seat has now been reserved for SCs.
Yogesh Sawhney, who stunned BJP’s Ashok Khajuria from Jammu East in 2002, joined the contest again today from the same constituency. BJP has fielded Yudhvir Sethi.
Choudhary Lal Singh, a former Minister in both Congress and BJP Governments and two-time Lok Sabha Member from Udhampur-Doda Parliamentary seat, today filed his papers from Basohli seat in Kathua district. Singh won Basohli seat in 1996 as Congress (Tiwari) candidate and in 2002 as Congress nominee. He was elected to Lok Sabha in 2004 and 2009 but joined the BJP in 2014 and won Basohli seat. He returned to Congress sometime back. Lal will be facing BJP’s Darshan Singh among others.
Another former BJP Minister Rajiv Jasrotia has joined the contest from newly created Jasrota seat in Kathua district. Balbir Singh, former MLA from Billawar, filed his papers from the same segment yesterday.
Chander Prakash Ganga, 2014 MLA from Vijaypur and ex Minister, has also filed nominations from the same seat today. Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) leader Manjit Singh, former Minister and Rajesh Pargotra (NC) will be challenging Ganga among others. Manjit won Vijaypur seat in 2002 while Surjit Singh Slathia, NC leader who later switched over to BJP, was the MLA from same segment in 1996 and 2008.
Yash Paul Kundal, who emerged victorious from Samba seat in 2002 and 2008 and also served as Minister in Mufti Sayeed-led Congress-PDP Government, today filed his nomination papers from newly created Ramgarh (SC Reserve) constituency. BJP has fielded former Minister Devender Manyal from Ramgarh.
Congress candidates Krishan Dev Singh and Balbir Singh also entered the poll contest from Samba and Nagrota constituencies respectively today.
BJP candidate and two-time Udhampur MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia filed his papers today from Chenani constituency where he will be facing his cousin and former Minister Harshdev Singh. Mankotia won Udhampur seat in 2002 and 2008 as Panthers Party leader but switched over to BJP later and has been fielded by the Party from Chenani.
Former MLA Gharu Ram Bhagat today joined the contest from Suchetgarh (SC Reserve) seat as the BJP nominee. He won RS Pura (then Reserve) seat in 2008.
A number of PDP candidates today also filed their papers including Vicky Dogra (Bishnah), Narinder Sharma (RS Pura) and Darshan Magotra (Jammu North).
BSP candidates who joined the fray include Gurdev Raj (RS Pura), Pushp Sabahya (Bahu), Shah Mohammad (Nagrota), Jagdish Chander (Marh), Chitten Manu (Akhnoor), Om Parkash Khokhar (Udhampur West) and Herjeet (Ramnagar) besides others. Gourav Chopra (Jammu West) and Sobat Ali (Bahu) joined the contest as DPAP candidates among others.
Tarsem Khullar (Samajwadi Party) filed papers from Bishnah seat.
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