Karnal ex-deputy mayor Manoj Wadhwa quits BJP

Parveen Arora

Karnal, April 17

BJP leader and former deputy mayor Manoj Wadhwa on Wednesday resigned from the primary membership of the party. He tendered his resignation to the party state president and CM Nayab Singh Saini and district president Yogendra Rana.

While Wadhwa is yet to disclose his cards, sources close to him suggest that he is likely to join the Congress to contest the Karnal Assembly by-election against CM Saini, who is the BJP nominee.

Wadhwa said he had resigned due to personal reasons. “I will meet my supporters and well-wishers to decide my future and will disclose it soon,” he added. He, however, did not disclose whether he was planning to contest the upcoming Assembly or Lok Sabha elections.

Wadhwa had contested and won the councilor election on an INLD ticket in 2013. Later he was elected as deputy mayor. He remained active in raising the problems faced by public in the house of Karnal Municipal Corporation.

Wadhwa had contested assembly elections in 2014 against the former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and remained at third position.

His wife had contested last mayor’s election against the BJP candidate Renu Bala Gupta and lost after a close contest. Later Manoj had joined the BJP.

There were speculations of his resigning from the party for the past several days and now he has put all the speculations to rest. Residents of the city are waiting for Wadhwa’s next step, who is a strong Punjabi face of the city.

According to sources, if Wadhwa contests Karnal by-election, it would make the electoral battle interesting. Now, all eyes are set on his next move.