Despite tasting defeat at the hands of the BJP candidate in 2002 and 2008 Assembly polls, Maharaja Hari Singh’s grandson and younger son of Karan Singh, Ajatshatru Singh, on Sunday joined the BJP to avenge ill-treatment meted out to him by the top brass of the National Conference.
Ahead of his formal entry in the party, working president of the National Conference Omar Abdullah dubbed him as an ‘opportunist’ who wasted six years as MlC in the Upper House of the State legislature.
Growing nervous Omar’s rant was aimed at warning the member of the royal family against trying his luck for the third time. The BJP is likely to field Ajatshatru from Nagrota Assembly segment in Jammu to retain the seat. Close aide of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and provincial president of the National Conference, Devender Singh Rana is contesting the Assembly polls for the first time from the same seat.
The seat was vacated by BJP State president Jugal Kishore after he won the lok Sabha polls from Jammu-Poonch lok Sabha seat. He created history by winning the seat for two consecutive terms in 2002 and 2008. It is learnt after becoming lok Sabha MP Jugal Kishore made sincere efforts to bargain on behalf of his younger brother but the election screening committee of the party apparently declined the mandate to him citing BJP’s poll plank against dynastic politics.
A heavy weight politician from Jammu region DS Rana has already started canvassing in the area but finding the going tough due to the diverse nature of electorate in the constituency. After 1962 Assembly polls, the NC won the seat for the first time in 1996. Ajatshatru had then defeated Janata Dal candidate Dhanraj Bargotra by a margin of over 2,000 votes.
Maharaja Hari Singh’s grandson later lost the seat by a narrow margin of 67 votes in 2002 and 1,620 votes in 2008 Assembly polls. The Assembly segment this time is all set to witness high voltage campaign due to the presence of heavy weight politicians in the fray. Congress party has fielded Shiv Dev Singh from the same seat. Singh won the seat in 1987 and contested the seat on number of occasions. PDP has fielded a local Gujjar leader, Hussain Ali Wafa, from the seat and hoping to give a tough fight in the poll arena. Mufti Mohd Sayeed is also taking keen interest in the seat and addressing workers convention on regular basis to drump up support in favour of party candidate.