Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday lambasted the Congress which, he alleged, was responsible for crime, corruption and casteist politics during its rule in the state, which his government had decimated ever since it came to power in 2014.
Addressing a rally on the last day of campaigning for the November 3 bypoll in Adampur assembly constituency, Khattar contended that his BJP-Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) combine government had ensured fair governance and held that the state Congress still continued to be plagued with internal bickering.
For the record, the by-election in Adampur was necessitated after Kuldeep Bishnoi, the younger son of former Congress leader and chief minister Bhajan Lal, had resigned as MLA from the seat in August this year and switched from the Congress to the BJP. His son Bhavya Bishnoi is the candidate of ruling BJP-JJP coalition government in this bypoll.
Khattar held that no prominent leader from the party was campaigning in Adampur except for former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his Deepender Singh Hooda. He also added that the Congress could not find any local face in Adampur and thus brought Jai Prakash, who is from Kaithal, as its candidate, who Khattar termed as a ``fused bulb’’.
He pointed out that several senior Congress leaders, such as Kumari Selja, Kiran Chaudhry and Randeep Surjewala had not come here even once to campaign for the Congress candidate.
Khattar went on to allege that Congress, which ruled the country for long, was now a sinking ship and was reduced to be in power in only two states – Rajasthan and Chhatisgarh.
Khattar reminded the gathering about what he termed as betrayal by Congress leadership 26 years ago, when the Congress had won 67 seats of the total 90 seats in Haryana under leadership of Bhajan Lal, and yet made Hooda the chief minister. Khattar said that it was time the people settled the score with Congress through this bypoll.
Hinting at a bigger role for Bhavya in his government, Khattar asked the gathering to ensure Bhavya’s win, following which he would ensure that the constituency sees unprecedented growth and progress.
Earlier, JJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, Home Minister Anil Vij, former Adampur MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi and BJP-JJP candidate and Bishnoi’s son Bhavya also addressed the rally.
