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Lal Singh rejoins Congress, sounds poll bugle from Udhampur
While the Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Jitendra Singh for the third consecutive Lok Sabha elections since 2014 from Udhampur constituency, Ghulam Nabi Azad‘s Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) has fielded GM Saroori
Former minister and Dogra Swabhimaan Sangthan chairperson Choudhary Lal Singh on Wednesday rejoined the Congress and sounded poll bugle against union minister Dr Jitendra Singh. “Just watch, it’s going to be an intense war in my constituency,” Lal Singh said.
While the Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Jitendra Singh for the third consecutive Lok Sabha elections since 2014 from Udhampur constituency, Ghulam Nabi Azad‘s Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) has fielded GM Saroori.
Choudhary Lal Singh has rejoined the Congress on the pre-condition of getting the party ticket from the Udhampur seat.
After joining the grand old party in presence of senior leaders Pawan Khera, Bharatsinh Solanki, Manoj Yadav, J&K Congress chief president Vikar Rasool Wani and others, Lal Singh exuded confidence that he would end the winning streak of Jitendra Singh.
He claimed that whenever he fought elections, he won and his party formed government.
“Against whom I am contesting (Jitendra Singh), they (BJP) are banking upon him for 370 seats because of our area (J&K), but when you lose, where would the arithmetic of seats go? And, my people would show them their place. I am proud of my people,” he told media persons in New Delhi.
“Three to four times, whenever I contested (elections), I won and my party formed government…I don’t know why,” he added. He also recollected his association with Congress and his stints as a cabinet minister and an MP.
“The people are afraid, but I would not be intimidated. I would fight and restore the pride and honour of this nation,” he added.
A survivor of three terror attacks in the past, he recalled how he was jailed in 1978 when he was a Class 11 student.
“Recently, I was in jail (in money laundering case). Attempts are being made to cancel my bail as well,” he said.
The two-time MP from Udhampur and the three-time MLA from Basohli, Lal Singh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in November last year in a money laundering case against a trust, RB Educational Trust, being run by his wife Kanta Andotra.
According to officials aware of the development, the ED is in the process of preparing a detailed chargesheet in the case.
