Prime Minister Narendra Modi is gearing up for a significant rally in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir, to support Union minister Jitendra Singh's bid for re-election as the BJP candidate for the city's Lok Sabha seat. This event is expected to draw a massive crowd, with reports suggesting that over two lakh people will be in attendance. PM Modi's upcoming rally in Udhampur is part of his campaign efforts as the star campaigner for Singh, who is seeking a third consecutive term in office.
The visit to Udhampur will be Prime Minister Modi's third visit to the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir since February. Prior to this rally, PM Modi has already addressed mass gatherings and rallies in the capital cities of Jammu and Kashmir on two separate occasions - February 20 and March 7. Jitendra Singh, expressing his anticipation for PM Modi's visit, informed reporters that a significant crowd is eagerly waiting to hear the Prime Minister speak at the rally. In light of the high-profile event, a multi-layered security system has been put in place to ensure the safety of all attendees.
The security arrangements for the rally include advisories issued for those planning to participate, with numerous security personnel deployed along the Jammu-Udhampur highway and critical junctions to maintain order. Concerns surrounding security threats, such as the recent usage of drones as improvised explosive devices by anti-national elements, have prompted the need for heightened security measures. With the spotlight on the abrogation of Article 370, a central aspect of the election campaign in Jammu and Kashmir, the Udhampur Lok Sabha seat is expected to witness a triangular contest, with the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) fielding G M Saroori and the Congress nominating Choudhary Lal Singh.
In the past, Jitendra Singh secured victory in the Udhampur seat by defeating Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh in 2019. Moreover, Singh's previous landslide victory in 2014 - where he overpowered former Union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad by a substantial margin of 60,976 votes - underlines the competitive nature of the electoral landscape in the region.