Raman Bhalla: Congress Leader To Retrieve Jammu, Party Stronghold (image: facebook.com/INC.RamanBhalla.jk/)

Raman Bhalla is a senior Congress leader and working president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress. In the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, he is fielded against incumbent BJP MP Jugal Kishore Sharma from Jammu Lok Sabha constituency.

As Jugal Kishore Sharma is looking for a third consecutive win, Raman Bhalla is aiming to retaliate for his failure at the previous Lok Sabha elections. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Raman Bhalla lost the seat by a margin of 3,02,875 votes.

Bhalla”s entry into politics was during his student days. He had joined the Congress as block president of the Youth Congress in 1979.  Then, he ventured into mainstream politics.

In 2002, Raman Bhalla won the election as an MLA from Gandhi Nagar, his home constituency. Besides, he served as minister in the PDP-Congress coalition government. In the 2008 Assembly elections, he retained the seat. As a legislator, his contributions to the constituency for advancing developmental work and bringing developmental funds to the region are held in high regard.

Raman Bhalla has been hailed as a leader with a strong connection with the masses. His roots with common people enabled him to survive through the Amarnath land controversy and the Assembly elections, the Tribune India observes.

During the election rallies, the Congress leader promised to advance the cause of the marginalised and address pertinent issues, including economic distress, price rises, and unemployment, and affirmed the importance to reinstate balance and equitable development in the region.

Before the 2014 general elections, Jammu parliamentary constituency was a stronghold of Congress. Since the 1967 elections, the grand old party has won the seat eight times.