4 seats in Udhampur to see cornered contest, rebels pose challenge to BJP

Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district, which comprises four assembly constituencies, is set to witness a fierce multi-cornered contest between the BJP, the Congress, and J&K National Panthers Party (JKNPP).

The four assembly seats in the district include Udhampur West, Udhampur East, Chenani, and Ramnagar which is a reserved constituency.

While BJP candidate and former minister Pawan Kumar Gupta is fighting to retain the traditional Udhampur West seat that his family has won three times in nine elections, party candidate and former MLA R S Pathania is facing rebellion from Pawan Khajuria and Balwan Singh as independents to win the new Udhampur East seat.

The Chenani constituency has become a hotbed of family rivalry, with cousins Balwant Singh Mankotia, a two-time former MLA and BJP candidate, and Harshdev Singh, a prominent JKNPP leader and three-time MLA from Ramnagar, vying for the seat.

In Udhampur West, Gupta is facing a two-front battle against Congress nominee Sumeet ...