Khattar invites Selja to switch sides, join BJP

Parveen Arora & Nitish Sharma

Taking a dig at the growing factionalism in the Congress, former CM and Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar invited Congress MP Kumari Selja to switch sides and join the BJP. He highlighted the internal rifts within the Congress and took an indirect jibe at former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son Deepender Hooda without naming them.

“There is no clarity on the CM candidate in Congress. The father wants to be CM, the son wants the same, and even leaders from outside their family want the same. Everyone may have aspirations, but there is no greater example of disrespect than the humiliation faced by a Dalit sister of ours, who was insulted and forced to sit at home. We are ready to bring her into our party fold if she is willing,” Khattar said while addressing a gathering at Gharaunda in support of the party’s candidate, Harvinder Kalyan, late on Friday.

Khattar’s statement comes at a time when the Congress is grappling with factionalism and growing dissent within its ranks, with party leader Selja notably absent from the campaign trail.

In another event held at Karnal, when asked if the Congress MP would join the BJP, Khattar said, “It is a world of possibilities, and possibilities cannot be ruled out. You will know everything when the right time comes.”

Khattar further said that the Congress was unlikely to form the government. “If they were confident about forming the government, why were they seeking alliances? No party has come forward to form an alliance with them,” he said.

In Ladwa, he addressed a gathering in support of BJP Ladwa candidate Nayab Singh Saini. He said many people are lined up for the post of CM in the Congress. “We used to say that Congress is not a party, but a ‘kabja’ (fiefdom) of father and son, but for the past few days, they both want to become the CM. There are many people lined up for the post of CM in the Congress,” he said. Later in the evening, Khattar participated in a door-to-door campaign in support of BJP candidate Anil Vij in the market area of Ambala Cantonment. He also addressed the BJP workers at party event.

Slams cong for ‘insulting’ dalit leader

Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday at Ladwa, slammed Congress leaders for objectionable remarks against their leader Kumari Selja and said society would never forgive them. “There is a sister who belongs to the Dalit community, whom they leave no opportunity to insult. Though she belongs to the Opposition party, the kind of words used against a woman are not acceptable and society will not forgive them,” he said.