Neeraj Kundan: Ex-NSUI Chief To Vie For Bishnah Seat (image:x.com/Neerajkundan/)

As Bishnah constituency goes to polls in the third phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, Congress announced the candidacy of Neeraj Kundan for the seat. A youth Congress leader from Jammu, Kundan is a former National President of National Student Union of India (NSUI).

In August this year, Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge appointed him as All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, he has served as AICC campaign in charge for the Gurdaspur Parliamentary seat and has been part of Rae Bareli Lok Sabha segment earlier.

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Kundan hails from Malley Kothe village in Jammu’s Arnia, near Indo-Pak border. Coming from a non-political background, he started his political journey as a student activist.

A law graduate from the University of Jammu, he became College President of NSUI and then rose to higher levels. In 2013, he contested NSUI Internal organizational elections and reached to the position as the State president of NSUI and then National president.

Kundan is pitted against BJP candidate Rajeev Kumar Bhagat and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Vicky Kumar Dogra. During the campaigns, BJP leader has urged electorates to vote for development.

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In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, National Conference (NC) Kamal Verma won the seat by defeating BJP candidate Ashwani Kumar Sharma by a margin of 2986 votes. Verma has secured 29,380 votes.  Sharma won the seat in 2002, and 2008 assembly elections.

The Bishnah constituency along with 39 other assembly segments scheduled to go to polls on October 1. The election results will be announced on October 8.