of the Panthers Party He would later leave the Congress Party due to political and economic differences to found his own political party, the Jammu and Kashmir National Panther's Party (JKNPP) on 23 March 1982, along with a few other prominent political personalities including Jay Mala the former president of the Indian Students Congress. He was twice elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Singh has also been a member of National Integration Council, first in 1991 nominated by prime minister of India Narasimha Rao, and then again in 2008 nominated by prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. He has contested seven times in the Indian parliamentary elections including against the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in Amethi, and former Bharatiya Janata Party leader LK Advani in New Delhi. As an advocate he has won many landmark cases in the Supreme Court of India and has been jailed several times while leading movements for students and youth demands including opening a university in Jammu. He has been jailed 54 times, spending an aggregate 8 years in detention, out of which 18 times he was released by order of the Supreme Court. Parliament elections Bhim Singh stood in the 1984 general elections for Indian parliament, from the Udhampur constituency. He came second, to the Indian National Congress from which he had recently split to form the Panthers Party. He received 95,149 votes (26.24%). At the conclusion of the count on 19 June 1988, local radio and news in Jammu and Kashmir along with AIR correspondent, Ajit Singh announced Bhim Singh as the winner of the Udhampur by-election by 32,000 votes. The former president of India, Giani Zail Singh sent a message of congratulations to Bhim Singh on his victory. However, Union Home Minister of India, Buta Singh had dispatched Dr. Bhalla, Secretary of the Election Commission by a Home Ministry aircraft to Jammu. Bhalla ordered the returning officer, S.P. Kazal to refer the count result to the Election Commission of India in New Delhi. On 25 June 1988, Peri Shastri the chief election commissioner in New Delhi declared the Congress Party candidate Mohd. Ayub Khan, instead as the winner by 2,376 votes. The returning officer was later found to have committed suicide with no known motive. Bhim Singh filed a review petition against the order of the Election Commission of India, stating the declared