NEW DELHI: Former Minister and founder of Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Choudhary Lal Singh today joined the Congress party in New Delhi.
He is likely to contest Lok Sabha polls from Udhampur constituency.
Singh, a former Congressman, had left the party after 2014 general elections and had joined the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) where he served as minister in the PDP-BJP coalition government.
The two-time Member Parliament (MP) from Udhampur, Singh’s coming back to the Congress will give a huge boost to the grand-old party from the seat where Minister of State (MoS) in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh is contesting on BJP’s ticket.
His candidature will make the contest on Udhampur seat interesting as he has his own base in his home district Kathua and Congress enjoys good reputation in Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts of this constituency.
With his entry, there will be a direct contest between him and Jitendra Singh, while Democratic Progress Azad Party’s (DPAP) candidate and former MLA from Inderwal Ghulam Muhammad Saroori will also play a major role as being a native of Kishtwar.
Udhampur is set to go to polls in the first phase of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections on April 19