Jammu, Mar 21: In the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir, the first nomination papers for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were filed on Thursday by the Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh from the Kathua-Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat.
WWE Superstar Great Khali came to Kathua in support of Dr Singh, who filed his nomination papers for the 3rd consecutive time. Khali returned back but the BJP sources said the WWE Superstar will again visit here to campaign for the party.
Udhampur-Kathua Lok Sabha constituency will go to polls for the first phase of general elections in Jammu and Kashmir on April 19. The notification for the constituency was issued on Wednesday along with 102 seats in 17 States and four Union Territories where polls will be held in the first phase.
Flanked by wife Manju Singh and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Dr Jitendra filed his nomination papers at the office of Returning Officer Rakesh Minhas in Kathua town, officials said.
The two-time MP from Udhampur-Kathua is aiming for a hat-trick of wins. He thanked the people for their faith in him while seeking their blessings for yet another term.
“The people from the hills of Kishtwar and Doda had come here yesterday to show their love and faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is proof of the work done in this region. But the Opposition failed to see any development,” Singh said while addressing a rally in Kathua.
Before filing the nomination papers, the Union Minister took out a rally in which Dalip Singh Rana ‘The Great Khali’ and BJP J&K chief Ravinder Raina were also present.
In 2014, Singh defeated former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad by more than 60,000 votes from the Udhampur seat. Singh received 4,87,369 votes to 4,26,393 votes garnered by Azad, who has since quit the Congress.
In 2019, he won against Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh, the son of Congress leader Karan Singh. He won by a substantial margin of 3,57,252 votes.
The Udhampur-Kathua Lok Sabha constituency was earlier stronghold of the Congress party. The Lok Sabha polls will continue till June 1 and will be held in seven phases.
