Former Haryana Speaker Kuldeep Sharma to campaign for Congress’s Divyanshu Budhiraja

Karnal, May 8

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Former Haryana Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Sharma, who had been seeking the ticket for his son Chanakya Pandit from the Karnal Lok Sabha seat, announced that he and his son would campaign for Congress candidate Divyanshu Budhiraja from the Karnal Lok Sabha seat, along with Congress candidate Trilochan Singh from the Karnal assembly segment.

Sharma said their campaign would strengthen prospects for both candidates. He made this announcement during a meeting with his supporters at Jat Dharamshala.

Addressing the gathering, he said, “We have accepted the decision of the party leadership. The supporters wished to have Chanakya as the candidate from Karnal; however, after our acceptance of the party’s decision, the supporters, along with me and my son, would work for both candidates for the sake of the party.”

Sharma criticised former CM Manohar Lal Khattar, referring to him as an “absentee” CM for Karnal. He highlighted Khattar’s absence from Karnal and said that there was an anti-incumbency sentiment against him along with two MPs — Sanjay Bhatia, elected in 2019 and former MP Ashwani Chopra, elected in 2014. He said they failed to address the problems of Karnal residents.

He said Khattar was an inactive CM, which was why he was replaced by the party midway through his term. He said if Khattar had continued his term as the CM, the BJP would have faced an even greater defeat.