Short on time, Kuldeep says he’s up for challenge

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, April 22

The delayed announcement of candidates for the Karnal parliamentary constituency has left them with little time to tour the segment and strike a chord with the electorate. With only 19 days left for the polling in Haryana (May 12), candidates seem to be running against time.

Kuldeep Sharma, Congress nominee whose candidature was announced on Sunday, admitted as much, but said he was up for the challenge.

“I am confident of touring the entire segment, as I am not new to the area. I have been sharing a bond with people of Karnal since 1980, when my father Chiranji Lal (four-time MP) had contested for the first time,” he said.

Sharma will file his nomination paper on Tuesday after a rally and a roadshow here.

“I will seek votes on the basis of my performance as an MLA and that of my father, when he was an MP. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and the entire party cadre are working hard to ensure my victory,” the Congress nominee said.

His opponent from the BJP, Sanjay Bhatia, seems to have an upper hand as he has already covered half of the segment. He is confident of winning by a massive margin.

Bhatia is seeking votes in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. His wife Anju Bhatia and son Chand Bhatia, along with party workers, are campaigning for him.

“I have covered almost half of the constituency. I will win the seat as people want Modi to be the Prime Minister once again,” Bhatia said.

Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) candidate Dharamvir Padha has started his campaign, while AAP-JJP candidate Krishan Aggarwal on Monday interacted with workers and leaders of both parties.