Srinagar, Mar 21: Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency, Jitendra Singh, Thursday filed his nomination papers for Udhampur seat.
Flanked by wife Manju, Singh filed his nomination papers at the office of Returning Officer Rakesh Minhas in Kathua town, officials said.
The nomination ceremony witnessed the presence of prominent BJP leaders including Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and State President Ravindra Raina and renowned wrestler, Dalip Singh Rana alias ‘The Great Khali’.
Singh, contesting for the third time from the Udhampur seat, received overwhelming support from party members and supporters as he embarked on a roadshow through Kalibari, Kathua, leading up to the nomination venue.
The atmosphere was charged with excitement as BJP enthusiasts danced to the rhythmic beats of drums.
A local news gathering agency KNS said that after completing formalities of filing his nomination, Singh proceeded to address a spirited rally at Ramlila Maidan in Kathua.
Singh, previously served as the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office.
He previously secured victory in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections from the same constituency. Before filing his nomination, Singh commenced the day with a morning Puja at his residence in Trikuta Nagar in the presence of friends and relatives, seeking divine blessings for a successful campaign ahead.
As the deadline for nominations approaches on March 27, political fervour has intensified in the region.
The scrutiny of nomination papers is slated for March 28, followed by the withdrawal of candidature by March 30.
The Lok Sabha elections for the Udhampur seat are scheduled for April 19.
The notification for the Udhampur constituency was issued on Wednesday along with 102 seats in 17 states and four Union Territories where polls would be held in the first phase.
The two-time MP is aiming for a hat-trick of wins and thanked the people for their faith in him while seeking their blessings for yet another term.
In 2014, Singh defeated former J&K 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 Vikram Aditya Singh, the son of Congress leader Karan Singh.
He won by a substantial margin of 3,57,252 votes.
After a recent summary revision, the Udhampur-Kathua constituency now has over 16.20 lakh registered voters.