E-Paper
BJP’s Ranjit Chautala, Congress’ Kumari Selja, INLD’s Abhay Chautala file papers
Congress general secretary and formter Union minister Selja is contesting from the Sirsa (reserve) seat while Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Chautala has entered the fray from the Kurukshetra seat.
With the deadline for filing of nominations drawing closer, prominent candidates fighting the Lok Sabha elections in Haryana have started filing their papers. Prominent among those who filed their papers on Wednesday included Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Ranjit Singh Chautala, Congress’ Kumari Selja and Indian National Lok Dal’s Abhay Singh Chautala.
Ranjit Chautala, who joined the BJP last month, is contesting from Hisar.
Congress general secretary and formter Union minister Selja is contesting from the Sirsa (reserve) seat while Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Chautala has entered the fray from the Kurukshetra seat.
Among other candidates who filed their nominations on Wednesday are BJP’s Banto Kataria from Ambala (reserve) and Congress’ Satpal Brahmachari from Sonepat.
Ranjit Chautala was accompanied by former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, minister Kamal Gupta, deputy speaker in Haryana assembly Ranbir Gangwa and former minister Savitri Jindal. Ranjit was met by protests and black flags by farmers sitting on pucca morcha at the main gate of the mini-secretariat in Hisar.
Meanwhile, former chief minister Khattar said that this election is a contest between Modi and Rahul.
“The Congress leadership had entangled the country in many complicated issues. But Modi has resolved all these issues, including the Kashmir issue, Naxal problem, problems of Northeastern states, Ram Temple issues, triple talaq,” he said.
Selja was accompanied by former union minister Birender Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala, Tosham MLA Kiran Choudhry and former Haryana deputy chief minister Chander Mohan Bishnoi. Former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who had accompanied Selja during the filing of papers in 2019, however, wasn’t present this time. Hooda had referred to Selja as his “sister” then. Hooda’s absence is being seen as the widening rift between the two leaders and their camps.
Interacting with mediapersons, Selja said, “People of Haryana are unhappy with the 10-year rule of the BJP in Haryana and the Centre. This government canecharges protesting farmers, unemployed youths are moving to foreign shores and youths are caught in the quagmire of drugs.”
Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini and Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat accompanied Banto Kataria, wife of former Union minister late Rattan Lal Kataria.
Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and state Congress chief Udai Bhan accompanied Brahmachari in Sonepat.
Addressing mediapersons in Sonepat, Hooda said, “If voted to power, the Congress will fill 2 lakh vacant government posts.”
“The BJP government failed to expand the metro line in Haryana. The people of Haryana are waiting for the polling day to teach a lesson to the BJP government. We will bring the metro line to Sonepat. INDIA alliance will win all 10 seats in Haryana,” he added.
In Kurukshetra, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal was present when Abhay Chautala filed his nomination papers.
NCP-INLD’s joint Karnal candidate Maratha Virender Verma and Abhay’s wife Kanta Singh Chautala accompanied him for the nominations.
Speaking to ANI, Badal said, “Regional parties should (in Haryana and Punjab) win that could work for their states unlike national parties that only think about bigger prospects where there are more seats.”
Later the leaders also addressed a large public gathering at Theme Park. Meham MLA Balraj Kundu, INLD leader Rampal Majra, SAD Haryana president Sharanjit Singh Sotha and others were also present.
Bypoll: Tarlochan files papers from Karnal
In a surprise move, Congress district coordinator Tarlochan Singh also filed nomination papers as Congress candidate for Karnal bypoll against chief minister Nayab Saini.
Singh, who had contested against Khattar in the 2019 assembly elections, filed his nomination in view of his anticipated candidature for the byelection, but there has been no official declaration from the party high command yet. However, Hooda said that he is the Congress nominee. Former Congress MLAs Sumita Singh, Bhim Sen Mehta and Manoj Wadhwa, who recently resigned from the BJP, were also seen as ticket aspirants against the chief minister.
The nomination process for the 10 Lok Sabha constituencies in Haryana, for which polling will be held on May 25, began on Monday. The deadline for filing nominations is May 6. The scrutiny of nominations will be done on May 7, and candidates can withdraw their nominations until May 9.
