Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 22: BJP candidates Jugal Kishore Sharma and Dr Jitendra Singh today joined electoral battle from Jammu-Poonch and Udhampur-Doda Parliamentary constituencies respectively while Congress candidate from Udhampur Lok Sabha seat and Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad would file his nomination papers on March 25, a day before nominations closed for the seat.
Thirteen candidates filed nomination papers from Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat on last day of filing nomination papers today taking total number of nominations from the seat to 24 while four candidates have so far joined the electoral battle in neighbouring Udhampur-Doda constituency.
However, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Harbans Lal Bhagat couldn’t file his nomination papers for Jammu-Poonch seat. While official sources claimed that Mr Bhagat submitted his papers to the Returning Officer after scheduled time of closure of nomination papers i.e. 3 pm, Mr Bhagat said he had reached the office at 2.30 pm and was “deliberately disallowed” from filing his papers by the Returning Officer “at the behest of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah”.
Mr Bhagat met Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Umang Narula and apprised him of his grievance that he was “deliberately debarred” from filing the nomination papers. He said his mandate had been duly signed by AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, whom he is going to meet in New Delhi tomorrow.
However, Deputy Commissioner, Jammu AK Sahu, who is Returning Officer for Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat told the Excelsior that the AAP candidate had come to his office in time but presented his papers after 3 pm, the schedule time for closure of nominations.
“We are here to accept the nomination papers and not to deny the opportunity to anyone to file his papers. However, we had to follow the time schedule,” Mr Sahu said.
A total of 13 candidates filed their nomination papers on last day of nominations for Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat, which would go to polls on April 10. Mr Sahu said scrutiny of nomination papers would take place on March 24 while the candidates can withdraw their nomination papers till March 26.
With 13 candidates joining battle of ballots for Jammu seat today, the number of candidates has reached 24. However, the number was expected to come down as covering candidates for some of the parties were likely to withdraw their nomination papers.
BJP candidate Jugal Kishore Sharma, a two times MLA from Nagrota Assembly constituency who is contesting his maiden Parliament election, filed his nomination papers today. He was joined by top leaders of the State unit of the BJP apart from party’s Jammu and Kashmir Incharge Avinash Rai Khanna. BJP Legislature Party leader Ashok Khajuria and other MLAs including Choudhary Sukhnandan, Choudhary Sham Lal and senior party functionaries were present during filing of nomination papers.
BJP senior leader Kavinder Gupta also filed nomination papers as covering candidates of the party.
Jugal Kishore was taken to the office of the Returning Officer in a procession and convoy with enthusiastic workers shouting slogans in favour of BJP Prime Ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi. Mr Kishore assured his supporters that the BJP would come victorious with a thumping margin and wrest the seat from the Congress. He called upon them to spread the message of Mr Modi in every house that to remove inflation, corruption and poverty, the Congress has to be wiped out from political map of the country.
Eleven other candidates, who filed nomination papers for Jammu-Poonch seat today, included Hari Chand Jhalmeria of National Panthers Party (NPP), Gursagar Singh Isher of Socialist Democratic Party (SDP), Mehar Manav Bhagat, son and covering candidate of Bharatiya Bahujan Party (BBP) Girdhari Lal Bhagat, Rita Devi, wife and covering candidate of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Ashok Bhagat, Abdul Majeed Chouhan, a resident of Mendhar, Mohammad Abbas Khan of Digwar, Dr Karan Kumar Gupta of Gandhi Nagar, Perseen Singh of Digwar, Poonch, Mohammad Imtiyaz of Manjakote, Rajouri, Ashok Kumar of Maheshpura, Bakshi Nagar and Satish Poonchi of Durga Nagar, Muthi, all Independents.
Panthers Party supremo Prof Bhim Singh and party MLAs-Balwant Singh Mankotia and Yashpal Kundal accompanied their candidate Hari Chand Jhalmeria in filing nomination papers while SDP president Drakshan Andrabi accompanied her candidate Gursagar Singh Isher to the office of the Returning Officer.
Several candidates were taken in processions before filing the papers.
Eleven candidates, who have already filed papers for Jammu seat, were Madan Lal Sharma of Congress, Yash Pal Sharma of PDP, Ved Prakash Gupta (Ved Mahajan), covering candidate of PDP, Subash Chander of Kissan Mazdoor Party, Girdhari Lal of Bharatiya Bahujan Party, Bahadur Singh Choudhary of Samajwadi Party, Raj Kumar and Nirmal Singh, both Independents, Ashok Bhagat of BSP, Labha Ram Gandhi of Refugee United Front and Vijay Kumar of Aam Manzoor Kissan Vikas Party.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Dr Jitendra Singh today filed nomination papers for Udhampur-Doda constituency before Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, Jitendra K Singh, who has been appointed as Returning Officer for the constituency by Chief Electoral Officer, Umang Narula.
Apart from Dr Singh, three other candidates also filed their nomination papers for Udhampur-Doda Parliamentary seat. They included Amrit Varsha of Samajwadi Party, Dharam Paul Balgotra of BSP and Madhu Bala Balgotra, wife of Dharam Paul and covering candidate of the BSP.
Congress candidate for Udhampur-Doda constituency and Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad would file his nomination papers at Kathua on March 25, a day before the nominations would close for the constituency.
BJP candidate Dr Jitendra Singh was taken in a massive procession in Kathua by the BJP workers and supporters to the office of the Returning Officer. The supporters were chanting slogans eulogizing Narendra Modi and Dr Jitendra Singh.
Addressing his supporters, Dr Singh declared that the BJP was on its way to a thumping victory in Udhampur-Doda seat with people intending to see Modi as their new Prime Minister to rid the country of corruption, inflation, scams and dynastic politics. He said the victory of the BJP was a foregone conclusion and the Congress would have to face defeat with a big margin.
Dr Singh said the people have not forgotten the “dirty politics” played by the National Conference and Congress during Kishtwar clashes in August last year and would teach the coalition candidate a lesson in the elections.
The candidates for Udhampur-Doda constituency can file their nomination papers till March 26. Scrutiny of nominations will be held on March 27 while last date for withdrawal of nominations in March 29. Voting will be held on April 17.
Meanwhile, Independent MLA from Langer Engineer Abdul Rashid today jumped into electoral battle by announcing his candidature from Baramulla Parliamentary seat, where NC has repeated sitting MP Sharief-ud-Din Shariq while PDP has fielded former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig.
Mr Rashid’s Awami Itihad Party (AIP) would also field Rashid Rahil from Srinagar and Advocate Sheikh Mujeeb-ur-Rehman from Anantnag constituency.
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