BJP legislator, Congress mayoral candidate engage in war of words

BJP MLA Jagmohan Anand and Congress mayoral candidate Manoj Wadhwa today engaged in a war of words ahead of the Karnal Municipal Corporation elections scheduled on March 2.

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Anand dared Wadhwa to invite former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda to campaign for him in Karnal, questioning Hooda’s influence in the state. Dismissing his statement, Wadhwa claimed that the former CM was busy campaigning in other civic bodies.

Wadhwa alleged that he was being threatened for raising the issue of an elevated flyover in Karnal, a claim that Anand rejected as a ‘cheap publicity stunt’. Anand questioned the absence of Hooda from the Congress campaign and asked why former CM had not come to Karnal to campaign. He said the former CM was a ‘rejected leader’. “If Wadhwa has the power, let him ask his former CM Hooda to campaign for him in Karnal. I have never seen Hooda in any campaign across the state. He is a rejected leader,” said Anand.

He said the BJP was reaching out to the people on the basis of development works done under its tenure. “We are going among the people on the basis of the work we have done,” he added, emphasising the ruling party’s achievements.

Wadhwa said former CM Hooda was busy with other civic body elections. “In Rohtak itself, there are MC elections. Several senior leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Kumari Selja, MLA and former minister Ashok Arora have come to Karnal for campaigning. Senior party leaders and former minister Jai Parkash Gupta, former Speaker Kuldeep Sharma, former MLAs Sumita Singh, Shamsher Singh Gogi, Rakesh Kamboj, former AICC secretary Virender Rathore and other senior leaders are campaigning for me. MLA Anand is misleading the people,” said Wadhwa.

He alleged that he was threatened for raising concerns over the construction of elevated flyover in the city. “I went at the site of elevated flyover on Thursday and highlighted the plight of traders who have been facing difficulties due to its construction. After I raised the issue, I was offered money to remain silent. Later, I was threatened,” said Wadhwa.

Accusing Wadhwa of engaging in cheap politics, Anand said, “If he has any security concerns, he should file a complaint with the SP.”