Punjab social worker Baldev Kumar, without direct Kashmir link, contests LS polls in J&K. He aids Kashmiri patients, plans a 100-room Kashmir House. Non-locals could contest LS polls in J&K pre-2019.

By M Saleem Pandit 

SRINAGAR: A non-local will contest the Lok Sabha elections from J&K for the first time after the 2019 abrogation of Article 370. Punjab social worker Baldev Kumar is in the fray from Rajouri-Anantnag constituency as an independent.

The 67-year-old resident of Mohali, near Chandigarh, was assigned his election symbol Tuesday, pitting him against 21 candidates, including former CM and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference’s Mian Altaf in the May 7 polls.

Kumar counts among his supporters patients from Kashmir who travel for advanced treatment to Chandigarh where he has been engaged in social work for 20 years.

This story was originally published in timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Read the full story here.