Section of Karnal zila parishad members blast Khattar, back Budhiraja

At a meeting of 25 members, including the chairperson Parvesh Kumari, organised at the Zila Parishad office on Wednesday, 18 members attended the meeting while seven were absent

In a latest political development, at least 20 members of the Karnal zila parishad, under a BJP-backed chairperson, have decided to vote against Lok Sabha candidate Manohar Lal Khattar and support Congress’ Divyanshu Budhiraja.

Meanwhile, chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, who was also in Karnal on Thursday, said that there is no protest against Khattar. (HT File Photo)

At a meeting of 25 members, including the chairperson Parvesh Kumari, organised at the Zila Parishad office on Wednesday, 18 members attended the meeting while seven were absent. Out of these 18, 15 extended their support to Congress and out of seven absentees 5 conveyed their decision to support Congress over the phone.

However, Sohan Singh, husband of the chairperson denied the claim and said that “handful of them are with Congress” and “most of them will support Khattar”.

At the meeting, the members showed their anger citing grievances over the snatching of powers through Khattar’s policies of e-tendering and others. Similarly, a section of sarpanch and ex-sarpanch of Gharaunda also met and took a similar decision.

Speaking to HT, Sunil Kumar, whose wife Pooja Devi was elected from Ward 24 of zila parishad said, “Being chief minister, Khattar tried to end the Panchayati Raj through his policies, unlike his claim of making the system strong. We represent nearly 35,000 to 40,000 voters from 20-25 villages which is more than a ward councillor, but he remained inaccessible to us.”

“Several of us, including me, have started organising Congress programmes in our ward. Earlier, we all extended support to the BJP-backed chairperson with the expectation of facilitating development works, but since the implementation of e-tendering, there has been a spurt in bureaucratic interference and works have lapsed,” said Amit Barana from ward number 5.

Meanwhile, Surende Udana from ward number 2 and a member of the BJP denied the claims and said that there is no opposition against Khattar.

Sohan Singh, husband of the BJP-backed chairperson also seconded Udana’s views and said, “At least five of them are from the Congress party and one each from the JJP and BSP. The rest of the 18 have no issues with BJP. They all will support Khattar. Like the whole Karnal, they also ask who is this Divyanshu Budhiraja?”

Meanwhile, chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, who was also in Karnal on Thursday, said that there is no protest against Khattar.

“At least 25 sarpanches joined BJP in Sirsa on Wednesday. No one is upset in the whole state, it is only the Congress. They have already been rejected and lost the public trust,” he added.

Former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.