Former BJP Minister and Chairman Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Choudhary Lal Singh, who was shunted out of the Mehbooba Mufti-led Council of Ministers on 13 April 2018 during the investigation of Rasana murder and rape case, on Wednesday returned to the Congress fold after a gap of 10 long years.
Singh rejoined the party in the presence of senior Congress leader Pawan Khera and Bharat Solanki, AICC in-charge J&k at AICC headquarters in New Delhi.
Lal Singh’s homecoming in the Congress party created a furor. It is also going to test the unity within the INDIA bloc in Jammu and Kashmir. Both the Kashmir-based mainstream political parties namely the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party may not welcome the decision of the Congress party.
Chief Spokesman of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party Salman Nizami said the Congress party has been exposed as they are now going to support supporters of rapists in the elections. “BJP had removed Lal Singh for supporting rapists, it’s shameful that Priyanka & Rahul Gandhi who led marches for the victim, have welcomed him into Congress. The Congress is exposed for its ideology by using supporters of rapists in elections. Women’s rights champions who speak out against rape must step forward and speak up now!” Nizami posted on X (earlier Twitter)
Welcoming Lal Singh in the party Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Vikar Rasool Wani posted a message on X saying, “Welcome to Congress family Sher-E-Jammu Ch Lal Singh”.
JKPCC Spokesman Ravinder Sharma said JKPCC welcomes the decision of Congress high command to rejoin firebrand Dogra leader, former JK Minister & two times MP Ch Lal Singh into the party. His entry will further strengthen the party.
Lal Singh, known as the firebrand leader, is likely to be fielded by the Congress party against the MoS PMO Dr Jitendra Singh from the Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat. Lal Singh remained a two-time MP from the same seat in 2004 and 2009. In 2019 Lal Singh stood at number 4 in the tally of votes from the same Lok Sabha seat. He contested as Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan’s candidate.
He quit the Congress party and joined the BJP after Ghulam Nabi Azad was given the mandate to contest against Dr Jitendra Singh in 2014.
Later, Lal Singh contested the 2014 Assembly polls from the Basohli Assembly seat and became a minister in the Mufti Mohd Sayeed-led alliance government. Singh was recently arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in November 2023 in connection with a case against an educational trust run by his wife Kanta Andotra under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
