Jammu, Mar 29: After the scrutiny of the nomination papers of candidates for the Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat, the papers of three covering candidates of different parties were rejected by the returning officer on this parliamentary seat.
These include candidates of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), Congress, and Bahujan Samaj Party.
A total of 15 candidates had filed their nomination papers for the Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat which included big names like BJP candidate Dr. Jitendra Singh, Congress candidate Choudhary Lal Singh and Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) candidate Ghulam Muhammad Saroori.
Other candidates belonged to smaller parties and independents.
The filing of nomination papers ended on March 27 and on March 28 scrutiny of papers was done during which papers of three candidates, who were covering candidates, were rejected by the RO office. “Those whose papers were rejected included Prem Nath, BJP covering candidate for Dr. Jitendra Singh, Divya Surya Partap Singh, covering candidate for Congress candidate Choudhary Lal Singh, and Tilak Raj, covering candidate for BSP candidate Amit Kumar,” an official told KNO.
All three covering candidates had filed their nominations on their respective party mandate but as the original belonged to the main candidates, their forms were rejected by the RO office.
Since the papers of three candidates have been rejected, 12 candidates are still in the fray and till tomorrow evening candidates have the option of withdrawing their papers beyond which there will be no option to leave the contest.
The Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat is going for polls on April 19 in the first phase of parliamentary elections in which big guns like Jitendra Singh and Lal Singh will be fighting to get their third term as Members of Parliament. DPAP candidate G M Saroori is also in the fray hoping to get maximum votes from his home district Kishtwar and neighbouring districts of Doda and Ramban.
