a few months after the Kargil war, the party contested from four constituencies in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, and received a total of 15,888 votes (1.38%) across the seats they contested. Jammu and Kashmir state assembly 2002-2008 In the 2002 Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, Panthers Party stood candidates in 36 out of 87 seats, gaining a total of 101,830 votes (7.24%) across the seats they contested. The party won in four constituencies, which included all three seats in the Udhampur district. Udhampur was won by Balwant Singh with 24,679 votes (40.39%). Chenani was won by SH Faquir Nath with 17,118 votes (37.42%) and Ramnagar by Harsh Dev Singh 29,914 votes (50.40%). Samba was won by Yash Paul Kundal with 11,079 votes (25.31%). Harsh Dev Singh served as the education minister in the coalition government, under his tenure as minister, English was made a compulsory language from first grade in state schools. Yash Paul became the minister of animal and sheep husbandry. Panthers Party leader, Bhim Singh became member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council. In 2007, Bhim Singh withdrew support to the Congress Party lead coalition, citing differences with the Peoples Democratic Party. The government fell soon after when the PDP itself withdrew their support from the Congress Party during the Amarnath land transfer controversy, placing the state under direct rule of the Indian central government for a few month prior to the Jammu and Kashmir state assembly elections, 2008. Indian general elections, 2004 In the 2004 Indian general elections, the Panthers Party fielded seven candidates from Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Delhi. Ravinder Kumar Jassi stood for the party in Ludhiana, Ved Prakash in New Delhi, R. Ravicandran in South Delhi, Syed Mohammed Rafiq Shah in Baramulla, Bashir Ahmad in Srinagar, Kuldeep Singh in Jammu, and Bhim Singh in Udhampur. The party received 70,078 votes (2.00%), across the seats contested. Protests as opposition in state assembly 2008-2014 In the 2008 J&K general elections, Panthers Party contested 73 out of 87 seats, and received a total of 131,944 votes (3.33%). They retained three seats in the legislative assembly, and formed part of a fragmented opposition along with the BJP and PDP. While in opposition they led a series of theatrical protests. In March 2013, Balwant Singh climbed onto his seat and hurled his microphone across the assembly house, leading a protest with the BJP. He demanded