Shortly after casting his vote, Union Minister and former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched a strong attack on the Congress, accusing it of spreading lies and asserting that its past corruption has led to unemployment. He claimed that under BJP rule, employment opportunities have increased, particularly in Haryana.
“I believe someone advised the Congress to keep repeating their lies over the past 6-8 months in hopes that people would eventually believe them. But as the elections approached, their falsehoods were revealed. They haven’t even announced their Chief Minister candidate yet. People suffered greatly under the Congress government, which was rife with corruption. Now, all those agents and middlemen have lost their jobs under BJP rule. Unemployment in Haryana is confined to the corrupt agents and middlemen of the Congress government. The common man has plenty of job opportunities, especially with industrial growth in the state, particularly in the NCR and along the GT Road,” he stated.
Khattar also remarked, “When their offers and freebies didn’t translate into votes, they retreated, and the public can see that. In Himachal Pradesh, they’ve started charging for electricity, which they previously exempted. They talk about Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and New Pension Scheme (NPS) but have never implemented OPS anywhere. We’ve moved beyond NPS and introduced the UPS. We make promises and implement policies while considering our budget. They are just trying to mislead voters, and Congress has only worked to create divisions among castes.”
Regarding speculation about Kumari Selja potentially joining the BJP, Khattar said, “When followers of a leader feel insulted, they turn against the party that has disrespected their leader. The leaders in Congress are merely showing off, and people have finally realized this. The Congress party cares only about one family. Kumari Selja’s community views her as their leader, and when she is insulted, they perceive it as a personal affront. This leads them to seek alternatives.”
In response, Congress MP Kumari Selja stated, “Today’s battle will change the fate of Haryana. Although this is a one-sided contest, the BJP is eager to welcome me because they are already weak. They will do anything to align with strong leaders. We will win all 90 seats.”
Manohar Lal Khattar served as Haryana’s Chief Minister for approximately 9.5 years before being succeeded by Nayab Singh Saini in March this year. The BJP is contesting the polls under Khattar’s leadership, with Saini running from the Ladwa constituency.
