'J&K Assembly polls soon, statehood to be restored': PM Modi in Udhampur

Prime Minister says abrogation of Article 370 has put an end to the 'long sufferings' of people of Jammu and Kashmir

Assembly elections will be held soon in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and statehood restored for the region, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an election rally in Udhampur on Friday.

"Please trust me; I will get rid of problems plaguing Jammu and Kashmir for the last 60 years," he said while campaigning for Union Minister Jitendra Singh who is contesting Lok Sabha (LS) election in Udhampur.

While addressing a rally in Battal Ballian area, Modi said: “I challenge any political party, especially the Congress, to get back Article 370. They cannot do it.” The Prime Minister said that abrogation of Article 370 has put an end to the “long sufferings” of people of Jammu and Kashmir, according to a report in the Hindustan Times (HT)

Talking about terrorism in J&K, the PM said, "After decades, elections will happen in Jammu and Kashmir without fear of terrorism and threat of cross-border firing.

Jitendra is seeking a third term as an MP from the Udhampur Lok Sabha seat, where polling will be held in the first phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

During Modi’s election rally, authorities made tight security arrangements, including a ban on the flying of drones, elaborate deployments, and vigilance on vital installations in the region.

According to a news report by PTI, security personnel were deployed on duty along the Jammu-Udhampur highway. Frisking has also been intensified at major spots along the highway, officials said.

Udhampur Lok Sabha seat

The Udhampur seat is seeing a triangular contest with the Congress fielding Choudhary Lal Singh and the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) pitting three-time ex-MLA GM Saroori against Jitendra Singh.

The Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency is witnessing a three-way battle, with the Congress nominating Choudhary Lal Singh, the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) putting forward three-time former MLA GM Saroori, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielding Jitendra Singh. The voting in the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency will be held in the first of the Lok Sabha elections on April 19.

According to the HT report, Jitendra Singh won the Udhampur seat in 2019 by defeating Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh, the grandson of former maharaja Hari Singh, by 353,272 votes. In 2014, Jitendra Singh defeated former Union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad by a margin of 60,976 votes.