E-Paper
BJP set for hat-trick in Jammu, Udhampur constituencies
BJP MP Jugal Kishore Sharma and Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh set to retain seats for third consecutive term
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday is set to retain Udhampur and Jammu Lok Sabha constituencies for the third consecutive term since 2014.
From Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency, sitting MP and Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh is leading with 4,22,266 votes against his nearest rival, Choudhary Lal Singh of the Congress, with 3,26,459 votes.
Dr Jitendra Singh is leading by a margin of 95,807 votes.
In Jammu Lok Sabha constituency, incumbent BJP MP Jugal Kishore Sharma was leading with 6,65,523 votes against his nearest rival Raman Bhalla of the Congress.
Bhalla has so far polled 5,36,390 votes and lags behind by 1,29,133 votes.
Congress candidate Lal Singh, who was arrested in November last year by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering case, had focused his campaign in the interiors of his constituency.
Dr Jitendra Singh had won the Udhampur seat in 2014 and 2019, while Lal Singh won it in 2004 and 2009.
Following the recent delimitation by justice Ranjana Prasad Desai-led panel, the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency spans five districts of Udhampur, Kathua, Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban.
There were a total of 12 candidates in the fray. 2,637 polling stations were set up in all five districts.
The constituency has 16,23,195 registered voters, including 8,45,283 male, 7,77,899 female and 13 transgender voters.
Winners of past five elections: Dr Jitendra Singh (2019), Dr Jitendra Singh (2014), Choudhary Lal Singh (2009), Choudhary Lal Singh (2004) and Prof Chaman Lal Gupta (1999).
