Congress seeks strong candidates to counter BJP on Karnal seats

Tribune News Service

Parveen Arora

Karnal, March 26

As the Lok Sabha and Karnal Assembly byelections are approaching, the Congress party is actively searching for strong contenders who can challenge both positions held by former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and CM Nayab Singh Saini.

Cong aspirants for Assembly ticket

The Congress is also exploring potential candidates for the Assembly byelections. Former MLA Sumita Singh, state working president Suresh Gupta, Parvesh Gaba, son of former Congress district president Des Raj Gaba, former chairman of the Haryana Minority Commission Trilochan Singh are among others in the race.

The BJP has already nominated former CM Khattar for the Lok Sabha seat, but the Congress is yet to finalise its candidate. The official candidature of Nayab Singh Saini is still pending for the Karnal Assembly byelections, which became vacant after Khattar’s resignation from the MLA’s post. Khattar wasted no time in urging the people of Karnal to elect Saini so that Karnal could regain the title of the “CM city”. Previously, Khattar held the Karnal MLA seat for consecutive terms in 2014 and 2019, after which Karnal earned the designation of the “CM city”.

The BJP has secured victory in the Karnal Lok Sabha elections for the past two consecutive terms. To challenge the BJP’s stronghold, the Karnal Lok Sabha seat, 48 Congress leaders from Karnal and Panipat had demanded ticket by filing their applications. The Congress has begun searching for a strong candidate from Karnal and Panipat districts. According to the party sources, potential candidates are AICC secretary Virender Rathore, former speaker Kuldeep Sharma’s son Chanakya Sharma, Parag Gaba and Lalit Butana, among others.The Congress is also exploring potential candidates for the Assembly byelections. Former MLA Sumita Singh, state working president Suresh Gupta, Parvesh Gaba, son of former Congress district president Des Raj Gaba, former chairman of the Haryana Minority Commission Trilochan Singh are among others in the race. The sources within the party suggest that a Punjabi candidate may be fielded. The sources added that a couple of leaders currently affiliated with the BJP were also in contact with the Congress and might be considered for the candidature.

Political experts suggest that the BJP is riding high on the wave of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the achievements of the BJP government in Haryana, while the Congress plans to engage with the people in highlighting the failures of the Central and state governments.

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