Lal Singh faces uphill task to reclaim seat for Congress after two decades

KATHUA: Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district goes to polls with battle lines clearly drawn between the Congress and the BJP across all six seats with focus on the Basholi Assembly constituency, where three-time MLA and two-time MP Choudhary Lal Singh faces a herculean task to reclaim his traditional stronghold for the fourth time.

Famous for its unique ‘Basohli Paintings’ and located along the banks of the river Ravi, Basholi has sent Singh and his wife Kanta Andotra to Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for four times out of the nine elections, while the Congress has won it seven times overall.

Although Singh is in a four-way contest with BJP’s Darshan Kumar, PDP’s Yoginder Singh, and BSP’s Pankaj Kumar, the real battle is expected to be between the BJP and the Congress.

“It’s a direct contest between the BJP and the Congress. For Lal Singh, it’s a tough challenge to bring the seat back to the Congress after 20 years. For the BJP, it’s a test to achieve a hat-trick on this seat,” said political expert Vikas Kumar.

Lal Singh has lost three consecutive Lok Sabha elections to Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh in 2014, 2019, and 2024. During the last Lok Sabha election, the Union minister secured a lead of 14,000 votes on the Basholi segment, leaving Lal Singh with an uphill task to retain the seat, which he won in 2014.

“It’s a tough contest for Singh, especially with two other contenders from the Rajput community, which constitutes 60 per cent of the population here,” Kumar said.

Lal Singh started his political career as a student leader and was first elected as an MLA from Basholi in 1996. He was re-elected in 2002 and became the minister for health and medical education in the Congress-PDP coalition government. He later won the Udhampur seat in the 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

An arts graduate from the Jammu University, Lal Singh rejoined the Congress in March this year before the Lok Sabha elections, after leaving the BJP in 2018 over the Kathua rape case.

After parting ways with the BJP in 2018, he launched a movement for the “Dogra pride,” advocating for a public holiday on Maharaja Hari Singh’s birth anniversary and a separate state for Jammu.

He also faces a money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate and was briefly arrested.

“People are frustrated with the LG administration and the BJP government. They want an end to this BJP’s dictatorship and cruel regime. They will vote the BJP out across Jammu and make the Congress victorious. I will win this seat and help the Congress form a coalition government in J&K,” said Lal Singh, who is campaigning door-to-door in the remote, mountainous areas of the constituency.

While the PDP and the BSP have fielded their candidates, the main competition remains between 66-year-old Lal Singh from the Congress and 48-year-old businessman Darshan Kumar from the BJP.

Kumar, who is currently the district president, also belongs to the Rajput community. Basholi’s 60 per cent Thakur community plays a crucial role in deciding the outcome, which is why both the Congress and the BJP have fielded Rajput candidates.

Meanwhile, BJP’s Kumar has intensified his campaign with door-to-door outreach, corner meetings, and public rallies. The BJP has brought in star campaigners, including Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, G Kishan Reddy, and Dr Jitendra Singh.

“We are confident of winning the seat, and the BJP will form the first government in Jammu and Kashmir. We are seeking votes for the development drive initiated by PM Modi,” said Darshan Kumar.

Campaigning is in full swing, with streets adorned with vehicles and flags of competing parties. Voters are discussing the contest between new challengers and seasoned politicians.

“Until 2002, Congress dominated here, but the BJP gained prominence later. Now, the discussion centres around new candidates versus former ministers,” Sunil Singh, a voter of Basholi, said.

People said Basohli’s terrain poses unique challenges, with incomplete roads and inadequate infrastructure. Local Mukesh Shastri highlighted the “incomplete” road from Mahanpur to Basholi. Despite its potential for tourism, development in the region remains neglected, he addded.

“Health services, road connectivity, and clean drinking water are still lacking,” resident Avanti Sharma said.

Basholi has 69,282 voters for the 2024 election, with 36,343 male voters, 32,937 female voters, and two transgender voters. There are 107 polling stations. (PTI)