BJP MP Jugal Kishore to file nomination on March 30, Congress’ Bhalla on April 2

Deputy magistrate of Jammu Sachin Kumar Vaishya on Thursday issued a notification for Lok Sabha elections in the Jammu constituency, which will go to polls on April 26.

The constituency is one of the 88 segments across the country going to the polls in the second phase.

Vaishya, who also serves as the returning officer, issued the notification for filing nominations.

The last date to file nominations is April 4 and the papers will be scrutinised on April 6. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is April 8, officials said.

While the Bharatiya Janata has announced sitting MP Jugal Kishore Sharma as its candidate for the Jammu seat, the Congress has announced J&K unit’s working president and former minister Raman

Bhalla.

Jugal Kishore Sharma, who won the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Jammu, is seeking a third term.

Sharma said that he would file his papers on March 30. He had won 2019 elections with a margin of 3,02,875 votes, securing 8,58,066 votes against Raman Bhalla’s 5,55,191.

Sticking to its old guard on March 2,the BJP had announced the names of Dr Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore for Udhampur and Jammu parliamentary seats, respectively.

Jammu and Kashmir has five Lok Sabha seats, three in Kashmir Valley and two in Jammu.

In 2014 Lok Sabha elections,

Jugal Kishore Sharma had defeated Congress candidate Madan Lal Sharma.

A two-time MLA from Nagrota, Sharma became the president of BJP’s J&K unit in 2012.

A Rashtriya Swamyamsewak Sangh (RSS) worker, the political graph of Jugal Kishore Sharma has been on an upward trend since he forayed into politics as a BJPl eader.

J&K Pradesh Congress Committee chief Vikar Rasool Wani on Thursday took review of preparations for the rally scheduled for April 2, the day when Bhalla will file his nomination papers.