Jammu, Mar 25 (KNO): As the electioneering process on Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha constituency is in progress and candidates are filing their nomination papers, history suggests that not a single candidate from Udhampur and Doda districts has won the parliamentary elections from this seat ever since it has been established.
As per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the winning candidates have either been from Kathua district or from Jammu and political parties continue to prefer candidates from these areas.
Though sometimes parties like National Conference and Congress have fielded candidates from erstwhile district Doda but they haven’t been able to win and even put up a fight.
This constituency is spread from Lakhanpur in Kathua district to Marwah and Warwan areas of Kishtwar district. It is one of the biggest Lok Sabha constituencies in terms area as well as having more than 10 lakh voters. At present it comprises of five districts, Kathua, Udhampur, Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar whereas it has 20 Assembly segments.
The constituency was established in 1957 and Inderjit Malhotra from Jammu emerged victorious on Congress party ticket. After that in 1967, Karan Singh, former Sadr-e-Riyasat and Congress party candidate, won. He was also from Jammu. In 1968 another Lok Sabha election was held and Congress party managed to win this seat by fielding G S Brigadier, who also hailed from Jammu.
According to the news agency KNO, during 1971, 1977 and 1980 elections, Karan Singh managed to grab the seat again but after that in 1984 Congress party gave mandate to Girdhari Lal Dogra of Hiranagar area of Kathua and he emerged victorious. In 1989, another Congress party candidate Dharam Pal won it and he also belonged to Jammu.
After 1996 elections, the Lok Sabha elections on Udhampur seat was not held alongside the general elections of the country as these were postponed due to unavoidable circumstances. When the BJP government at the centre had lasted only for 13 days, voting on Udhampur seat was held and BJP’s Chaman Lal Gupta won it. He again emerged victorious in 1998 and 1999. Gupta was resident of Jammu.
In 2004, Congress party fielded the than minister for health in Mufti Muhammad Sayeed led Congress-PDP government Choudhary Lal Singh from this seat and he won it. Singh again won it in 2009. Lal Singh hails from Kathua district.
During 2014 elections, Congress party had fielded union health and family welfare minister Ghulam Nabi Azad from this seat but BJP’s Dr. Jitendra Singh defeated him with a margin of around 60000 votes. Again in 2019, Jitendra Singh emerged victorious and he defeated Karan Singh’s son Vikramaditya Singh. Though his ancestors are from Doda district but Jitendra Singh has been living in Jammu.
This time also there is no chance that any one from either Udhampur or Doda will be winning this seat as there is a direct contest between Choudhary Lal Singh and Dr. Jitendra Singh—(KNO)