Poll buzz in Haryana

Prime Minister Modi will address a rally in Kurukshetra on September 14

Chandigarh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally at Kurukshetra Recreation Park on September 14. Minister of State for Urban Local Bodies and Thanesar MP Subhash Sudha told reporters on Sunday, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a rally on September 14 and the BJP will work fast towards forming a government in Haryana for the third time. Tasks for the rally have been assigned.”

Khattar meets former mayor Renu Bala Gupta and asks her to support the BJP candidate

Karnal: Amid growing opposition for the Karnal parliamentary seat, Union Power Minister and former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar reached the residence of former mayor Renu Bala Gupta on Sunday and asked her to support BJP candidate Jagmohan Anand. Gupta, her husband Brij Gupta and their supporters stood by their decision. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini had also tried to placate Gupta on Saturday after she expressed her displeasure over the party's decision to field Jagmohan Anand as its candidate for the Karnal parliamentary seat. “We have conveyed to Khattar that ji about our concerns. We will make a final decision after a meeting of our supporters on September 10,” said the former mayor.

Speaking to media, Khattar highlighted the role of the Gupta family in his and CM Saini's victory. “The family members campaigned hard for the party candidates in the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections. I have asked them to campaign for the party candidates. Such differences of opinion are common in important decisions. Renu Bala Gupta had ambitions to contest this election. She, her husband and their family members played an important role in my victory and CM Saini's victory,” Khattar said.

Moreover, former Karnal BJP district president Ashok Sukhija expressed his dissatisfaction over the distribution of ballot papers. Sukhija also expressed concerns that the party might overlook him as he is one of the top-ranking candidates. Sukhija has called a meeting of his supporters on Monday and left it up to them to decide whether he will contest the election.

Aditya Chautala, grandson of Devi Lal, leaves BJP to join INLD

Chandigarh: Aditya Chautala, 45, grandson of former deputy prime minister Devi Lal, on Sunday quit the BJP to join the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in Dabwali town of Sirsa district in the presence of INLD general secretary and his cousin Abhay Chautala. Abhay announced to nominate Aditya as the candidate of the INLD-BSP alliance in Dabwali constituency. He will contest against his nephew Digvijay Chautala, who is the great-grandson of Devi Lal. The Congress has also re-nominated Amit Sihag, who also belongs to Devi Lal's extended family. Aditya had contested on the BJP ticket in the 2019 general elections but lost the election to Amit Sihag of the Congress.

Chd devotional singer Kanhaiya Mittal joins the Cong

Chandigarh: Religious singer Kanhaiya Mittal on Sunday announced that he would join the Congress to spread Sanatana Dharma. “It is wrong that the BJP has denied me the candidature from Panchkula and that is why I am joining the Congress. I have no grudge against the BJP. I believe that Sanatana Dharma can be spread by any party and not just by one party,” Mittal said in a video message posted on X. He further said that if the BJP's candidature had existed, he would have talked to people and got the candidature from Panchkula. “I am friends with everyone. I have never asked anyone to vote for the BJP. I have always advocated voting for the people who talk about Sanatana Dharma and Ram Mandir,” the singer said. “I was never with the BJP. Yes, they used to invite me on their shows to sing the song 'Jo Ram Ko Laye Hain'. If you listen to the song, there is no mention of the BJP. It was Maharaj Guruji Yogi Andityanth who invited us to the BJP programmes. He will always remain our Guru,” the singer concluded.

Dissatisfied BJP leader Kamboj runs as an independent

Chandigarh: Disgruntled BJP leader Karan Dev Kamboj has decided to contest the assembly elections as an independent candidate after failing to get a positive response during a meeting with Haryana poll co-incharge and former Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb in New Delhi. He is yet to make a final decision on whether to contest from Yamunanagar district's Radaur constituency or Indri constituency of Karnal district. After being denied party candidature in Radaur, Kamboj resigned from the post of BJP OBC Morcha president, Haryana, and from other BJP posts on September 5. He contested the 2019 assembly elections from Radaur but was defeated by Congress's Bishan Lal Saini. He contested and won the 2014 assembly elections from Indri. He was appointed as the Haryana Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Forest Minister.

Right-wing activist and cow protector Bittu Bajrangi is contesting as an independent for the NIT in Faridabad

Faridabad: Rajkumar Panchal, known as Bittu Bajrangi, a right-wing activist and cow protector, on Sunday announced that he will contest the assembly elections from Faridabad NIT constituency as an independent. He has been named as an accused in the violence that took place in Nuh district last year. Talking to reporters, Bajrangi said that he had been campaigning in the area for the past few months and was now ready to file his nomination papers as his follower base had grown tremendously in the past few years. He said that he had been campaigning door-to-door to garner support. Bajrangi is an accused in the case related to the violence that broke out during the Braj Mandal Yatra in Nuh in 2023.