Haryana ex-CM ML Khattar braves scorching heat on campaign trail

Karnal, May 21

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Carrying the BJP’s flags, along with garlands and flower petals in their hands, people welcomed their leader former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar — party candidate for the Karnal Lok Sabha seat — at Sambhli village on Sunday.

Undeterred by the heat wave, Khattar, who was in an open vehicle, was greeted with open hearts and warm smiles by the public. An arrangement was made to weigh him equal to the weight of ‘ladoos’. Former Karnal Mayor Renu Bala Gupta, her husband Brij Gupta and hundreds of people standing on the both sides of the Karnal-Patiala state highway greeted him.

Khattar is displaying his remarkable determination amid the high temperatures of 43°C and canvassing for strengthening the hold of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the country for the third consecutive time.

Unfazed by the relentless sun, 70-year-old Khattar is holding roadshows, which start at 8 am, and daily covering 70-80 km to reach out to the maximum people in his constituency. During his roadshows, he highlights the achievements of his tenure and urges people to vote for the saffron party.

Highlighting the merit-based employment system his government had implemented, he said “Bina parchi, bina kharchi ki jobs” (jobs without recommendation or bribes) had brought transparency and fairness in the recruitment process. This initiative had opened the doors for many deserving candidates, who otherwise would have been overlooked, he added.

During his rallies, he is seen asking people to count his achievements, to which the public sheds light on various aspects such as good governance, transparency in the system, e-governance, regular tabs on corruption, etc.

“Manohar Lal ji has done good work for the welfare of all sections of society. He has brought transparency and recruited people without donations,” said Parul Bali, a resident. Sandeep Bhatia, another local, said the Khattar government had done inclusive development without discrimination. “Under Modi ji’s rule, we feel safe as terrorist activities have gone down to a great extent in the country,” he added.

While wrapping up his speech, he recently made a heartfelt appeal to villagers, urging them to support him in the elections. “Elect me as your MP, and I promise to continue good governance and take care of your needs with the same dedication,” he said.

Harvinder Kalyan, Gharaunda MLA and convenor of the Karnal Lok Sabha elections, said his roadshow had been kept in two shifts — morning and evening. After covering different villages and addressing people, he held meeting with party workers at district party’s office, he added. After discussing the poll strategy, he went for the second round of the roadshow, which continued till late evening, Kalyan further said. “He motivates us to work more for the party,” said the MLA. Former Mayor Gupta also appreciated Khattar’s working style and said he motivated the party leaders to work for the welfare of the citizens.

On Friday, he travelled nearly 76 km, reaching out to the people of the Indri, Karnal and Assandh Assembly segments, while on Saturday, he covered nearly 70 km in Gharaunda, and roughly 80 km on Sunday to garner support in Panipat (rural) and Nilokheri.