Union Minister, MP accompany BJP nominees
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 9: As the Congress announced names of its candidates only tonight for third phase of Assembly elections on October 1 covering 24 constituencies of the Jammu region, mostly the BJP candidates, nominees of smaller parties and Independents filed their nomination papers on fifth day today.
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September 12 is last date for filing nominations while scrutiny will be done the next day and the candidates can withdraw their papers till September 15.
Former Minister and BJP candidate for Jammu North Sham Lal Sharma and Arvind Gupta, party nominee from Jammu West filed their papers today in the presence of former Union Minister and Lok Sabha Member Anurag Thakur. Both the candidates took out massive rallies through their constituencies before submitting papers to the Returning Officers.
Sham is two-time MLA from Akhnoor constituency and served as Minister in NC-Congress coalition Government headed by Omar Abdullah. Later, he quit Congress and joined the BJP and has been given mandate from Jammu North segment.
Arvind Gupta is, however, contesting the Assembly election for the first time but has held various posts in the organization.
Advocate Maheshwar Singh Manhas, candidate of Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) from 79-Jammu North Assembly constituency filed his nomination papers before Returning Officer (SDM North Jammu) at Janipur. He was accompanied by large number of supporters and party leaders—R S Chib (former Minister and General Secretary DPAP), Dr Tariq Azad (member Working Committee DPAP), Vishal Chopra (media incharge and spokeperson DPAP) and others.
BJP leader Jeevan Lal filed his nomination papers from Bani Assembly constituency in Kathua district in the presence of Union Minister GK Reddy and MLA from Pathankot (Punjab) Ashwani Kumar Lal had won Bani seat for the BJP in 2014 as well and is in the fray for second consecutive time.
Reddy addressed a massive rally at Bani in support of Jeevan Lal.
In Udhampur district, BJP candidate Dr Sunil Bhardwaj joined the electoral contest from Ramnagar (SC Reserve) constituency. Ashri Devi of JKNPP (India) and Sanju Kumar of JKNPP (Bhim) also filed papers from Ramnagar seat.
In Udhampur West where former Minister and BJP candidate Pawan Gupta has joined the fray, Tranter Singh of JKNPP (Bhim) and Jasvir Singh, Independent today filed their nomination.
In Chenani, Krishan Chand (Independent) and Shabir (JKAADP) filed the papers.
A total of seven nominations were today filed in Udhampur district.
In Samba district, two candidates filed nominations from Samba Assembly constituency. They include Raj Kumar Bhagat of Azad Samaj Party and Vinod Kumar Sharma (Independent).
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