BJP Leader To NC's 'Giant Slayer': Who Is Surinder Choudhary, J&K's New Deputy Chief Minister?

Choudhary is seen as NC's Jammu face to counter the narrative that Jammu was being discriminated against, reports ETV Bharat's Mohd Ashraf Ganie.

Jammu: “Giant slayer” Surinder Kumar Chowdhary, who defeated firebrand J&K BJP President, Ravinder Raina from Nowshera Assembly constituency in the recent assembly elections, Wednesday took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister in the NC-Congress coalition government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Interestingly, Choudhary was himself a BJP man till July 11, 2023 when he switched to the NC in presence of Omar Abdullah.

NC's Giant Slayer

Choudhary defeated BJP Jammu Kashmir Unit president Ravinder Raina by a margin of 7,819 votes in the 2024 assembly elections. Raina had defeated Choudhary in the 2014 assembly elections by over 95,000 votes when the latter contested on the PDP ticket.

Later in 2015, Surinder Choudhary was nominated as a Member of Legislative Council (MLC) by the People's Democratic Party. Chowdhary resigned from the PDP in 2021 and had joined the BJP on April 5, 2022 while citing the “love and affection” for the BJP for carving out separate Nowshera and Sunderbani assembly seats through the Delimitation Commission. However, after a year-long association, he quit the saffron party and joined the National Conference on July 11, 2023, in the presence of Omar Abdullah. Choudhary accused BJP's Ravinder Raina of dynastic politics and corruption.

Choudhary, son of Jia Lal Chowdhary hails from village Nonial of Rajouri district. His father has served in the Indian Army as captain.

J&K Swearing-in LIVE: #OmarAbdullah Takes Oath As First CM Of Jammu And Kashmir Union Territory

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NC's Jammu Face

Surinder Choudhary, the only Hindu MLA from the NC-Congress alliance, has been rewarded with the position of Deputy Chief Minister for defeating a veteran leader like Ravinder Raina.

Choudhary, who comes from the Jat community, is one of the prominent Hindu leaders in Jammu and Kashmir and is now seen as the NC's Jammu face. The move by the Omar Abdullah led coalition government is seen as a rebuttal to the argument that Jammu region had been discriminated against under the the previous NC and Congress dispensations.

After the victory in the J&K assembly polls, Omar had told ETV Bharat that despite the majority of the seats in Jammu region going into the BJP's kitty, the region will have a voice in the new government.

Omar reiterated the statement after Wednesday's swearing-in. “I had said that we will not allow Jammu to feel that they do not have a voice or representative in this government. I have chosen a Deputy CM from Jammu so that the people of Jammu feel that this government is as much theirs as it is of the rest.”

Humble Background

Choudhary is not highly educated. According to his election affidavit, Choudhary passed his 12th exam from the Jammu and Kashmir State School Education Board in 1987. He owns property worth Rs 2.3 crore as per the affidavit submitted to ECI.